Devastation of East Adriatic Coast by silting (construction)

Written by Ogranak Crikvenica

Utorak, 04 Prosinac 2007

EKO Kvarner-  Dramalj " Surplus of the construction material on some locations in town, initiated the need for restoration and tiding up of the beach within Dramalj, in front of Lanterna restaurant"   - Technical specification for the project 96-001 The above introduction to the technical specification for the project of the beach restoration  describes to state of mind in Croatia related to the problem of silting on the Adriatic coast. Whenever the excess of building scarp material needs to be deposited, usually the best drop out area (the biggest as well as the closest) is Adriatic sea. Such practise along the Croatian Adriatic coast is present for many years and intensified recently. Nowadays wild drop out areas are appearing everywhere along the coastal line and not long ago this practise received a new hiding term " tiding up  beaches", "building promenade ways/paths", "fixing small boat  ports/docks for the local population" and other similar terms. Not interfering policy of local communities and ignorance and lack of authority of the state institutions leads to the situation where several kilometres long silting projects are nowadays introduced in local special /area planning documents without any shame or fear. Such devastations are even declared as necessary development projects justified by the needs for further tourist industry development. Disregarding warnings of ecological NGO, ignoring professional opinions of marine biology institutions as well as world wide recognised  marine biologists and finally statements of tourist industry research centres are also ignored The former speaks in itself about state of mind of municipal authorities arrogance  as well as about powerlessness and incapability of the state institutions to protect East Adriatic coast as the most valuable part of the Republic of Croatia any maybe the most valuable part of the whole North Mediterranean coast. Why silting is pollution? The most productive part of the coastal are is so called infralitoral belt. Ifralitoral belt is part of the sea bed where the absorption of sun light is minimum i.e the breakthrough of the sunlight is deepest. Coastal shallow depth bottom areas constantly covered with sea water are the most productive part of the benthos. Primary sources of the live part in infralitoral belt are  photophilic (marine)algae (on rocky grounds) and marine floral ( on the muddy/sandy grounds). This is the area where lot of sea organisms are fed, sheltered and reproduced. Biodiversity within this communities is high and natural recovery of these colonies  after human devastation is very  lenghtly if any at all. By silting this infralitoral belt is being just destroyed. Silting of the coastal line with only a few exceptions is done with construction debris and surplus material which is generated as a by product from demolished buildings, road building excavation and other construction works. Besides destroying the shallow bed by direct silting, destroyed area is considerably enlarging due to the spread of the free floating fragments carried by the waves and currents. Such free fragments are all over covering up specimens on the wide area. As an example, observation from the scientific research project done on the western coast of the Krk Island  shows that the coast was covered by heaps of excavation material forming a prev up to 6m depth. Enormous sedimentation of silty particles covered the sea bed with soft and sticky mud covering the former sandy bottom up to 250 m distance from the shore. Silting in the areas rich with fresh water is even more devastating due to the importance of the low salinity water (brachish waters) for life and development of certain rare marine species which are listed in international documents and studies such as Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP). Particularity of the silting is that silting practically never ends.  Non protected beaches made from silting material are continuously eroded by the sea and continuation of maintenance as such artificial beaches is inevitable. The devastation practically never ends and pollution is continuous and indefinite. What are the reasons that silting is so "attractive"? Uncontrolled development, in particular coastal area saturation jeopardises tourism which is the main industry in the coastal areas. Pressure to the coast line is increasing  from day to day and solutions are found in radical construction projects along the coast and islands. Uncontrolled development brings up attempts of  uncontrolled widening of the coastal zones usually done by silting i.e damaging the sea. The sad fact is that " improvement (tiding up) of bathing area" hides real interest of the construction lobbies to get inexpensive dumping areas and expensive construction projects on the coast line financed from the poorly controlled state and/or municipal budgets. Republic of Croatia 2004 declared "Regulation for the protection of the coastal zone" in attempt to protect coastal area 70-100 m from the shore line. The construction of buildings is practically forbidden in this zone. If the shore line is displaced present area under protection becomes very attractive propriety development area. Repositioning of the shore line is a leading and mayor actual motive for silting. The sad fact is that such positive regulation at the beginning is being bypassed and in reality becomes a "Regulation for the devastation of the coastal zone". Propriety development and construction did not stop. On the contrary irreparable destruction of the most important and most productive part of the sea bed is enabled. Where the silting is happening or is planned? Silting is going on or is planned practically along the whole Croatian coast. Split, Crikvenica, Makarska, Podgora, Bol, Malinska, Rijeka, Pag, Lošinj are just a few locations where silting is presently carried out or further silting is being planned. Recent special/area planning documents for the Crikvenica region are maybe the best example of the "silting sickness" present along the whole Croatian Adriatic. Silting/dumping is foreseen as a building method for artificial beaches. The beaches are foreseen to penetrate 40-90 m into the sea and are planned in length of 3-4 km. This ecologic catastrophe is initiated by the municipal authorities who are "tiding up bathing places" and "building coastal promenade ways". The by product of such projects is "development" of the dumping area for the Rijeka –Žuta Lokva highway debris as well as enabling some very attractive land properties to be converted into high profitable construction sites. The price to be paid is destruction of valuable and protected infralitoral sand and rocky sea bottoms. Which legal documents are available? Legal instruments include "Regulation for the protection of the coastal area", " Strategy for the spatial development of the Republic of Croatia" and "Declaration of environmental protection in Republic of Croatia". Although the silting is mentioned on several places, the silting as a construction method is not banned except in the case of construction of marinas. Such legal environment enables easy manipulation of the municipal which due to there ignorance and lack of funding for there own activities are becoming loyal business partners to the development/construction lobbies. Negative public opinion shown through remarks, petitions and protests is nothing more that just a folklore and is totally ignored by the municipal and government authorities. In view of the all above mentioned we would like to express our deep disappointment with the treatment of the silting/dumping problem which if not addressed will soon result in destruction and displace of one of the last preserved natural coasts of North Mediterranean. Dramalj 14.04.2007 In addition Photos of the silting in Dramalj 1996 Photo of the silting in Crikvenica 2007 Photo of the areas foreseen for silting in Crikvenica region

Last Updated ( Nedjelja, 09 Prosinac 2007 )