969
1 INTRODUCTION
Maritime security, as an integral part of national
maritime policy, is achieved through the effective
implementation of surveillance and protection of the
sea, including maritime and underwater areas (the
seabed, water column, sea surface, and sub-sea area)
as well as the airspace above the sea surface. Maritime
security represents a fundamental prerequisite for
achieving a higher level of national security for coastal
states to reduce security threats and risks at sea [24],
[26]. Maritime security is analyzed from two
perspectives: general maritime safety and the security
protection of maritime navigation.
The research problem involves the relevant factors
that influence the effectiveness of the implementation
of control and protection of the rights and interests of
a coastal state in a semi-enclosed sea.
The subject of the research includes the
determinants and characteristics of state
administration bodies (hereinafter: SAB) responsible
for the implementation of surveillance and the
protection of rights and interests where the Republic
of Croatia (hereinafter: RC) exercises sovereignty,
sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in accordance with
international law. The paper investigates and analyzes
the structures of the relevant SABs of the RC in terms
of operational efficiency in implementing the
protection of rights and interests in maritime areas.
The research problem and subject refer to the
objects of the research in the geographical area of
interest, which is the semi-enclosed Adriatic Sea -
eastern part. During the four-year period from
January 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023, relevant cases of
unlawful crossings of the state border at sea
(hereinafter: SBaS) were synthesized. A detailed
analysis of maritime traffic security and safety was
conducted. Data were collected on ship, cargo, and
passenger traffic in seaports. The control and
protection system is organized depending on the sea
Multifunctional Analysis of the State Administration
Bodies of the Republic of Croatia in the Implementation
of Control and Protection of the Rights and Interests
in the East Coast of the Adriatic Sea
T. Sunko
1
, S. Kos
2
, T. Mišković
3
& M. Dedo
4
1
Croatian Defence Academy "Dr Franjo Tuđman", Zagreb, Croatia
2
University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
3
Transmitters and Communications Ltd., Zagreb, Croatia
4
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia, Croatian Navy, Split, Croatia
ABSTRACT: The paper has conducted a structural analysis of the relevant state administration bodies of the
Republic of Croatia regarding the operational efficiency of implementing the protection of rights and interests
in the marine and underwater areas of the semi-enclosed Adriatic Sea, where the respective coastal state (the
Republic of Croatia) exercises jurisdiction in accordance with international law. A comprehensive overview of
all components of the system, as well as some sensors of the state administration bodies of the Republic of
Croatia involved in the implementation of control, monitoring, and protection of rights and interests in the
Adriatic Sea – the eastern part, has been synthesized. An analysis of maritime traffic security was conducted.
Data on ship, cargo, and passenger traffic in the seaports of the respective coastal state were collected. The
analysis covered a four-year period between 2019 and 2022.
http://www.transnav.eu
the International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 18
Number 4
December 2024
DOI: 10.12716/1001.18.04.25
970
surface area, economic strength, geostrategic position,
geographical characteristics, geopolitical
circumstances, and existing systems and subsystems
that serve to protect sovereignty and enforce the legal
regulations of the coastal state.
The purpose of the research is to analyze the
functional correlation between the organizational and
operational structure of a part of the coastal state
administration system involved in the control and
protection of the rights and interests of the RC in the
Adriatic Sea - eastern part.
In the context of the mentioned purpose, the aim of
the research is to show how the SABs, through its
competences, conduct the control and protection of
the rights and interests of the RC in the Adriatic Sea,
and to analyze the structure and functions of the SABs
responsible for the implementation of the control and
protection of rights and interests in the mentioned
area where the RC exercises jurisdiction in accordance
with international law.
In the elaboration and interpretation of the
research results, the inductive and deductive method,
the classification method, the descriptive method, and
the compilation method will be used to incorporate
existing knowledge.
2 STATE ADMINISTRATION BODIES
The maritime area of the Adriatic Sea, where the
Republic of Croatia exercises jurisdiction in
accordance with international law and national
legislation, is divided into the following areas [9]:
− The area of the internal waters of the Republic of
Croatia (hereinafter: IW): 12,498 km²,
− The area of the territorial sea of the Republic of
Croatia (hereinafter: TS): 18,981 km², and
− The area of the exclusive economic zone of the
Republic of Croatia (hereinafter: EEZ): 23,870 km².
The total area of the IW and TS of the RC amounts
to: 31,479 km². The total area of the IW, TS, and EEZ
of the RC amounts to: 55,349 km². The volume of the
Adriatic Sea is 34,836 km³. The external border of the
TS also represents the maritime border of the RC.
Figure 1 shows the areas of sovereignty, sovereign
rights, and jurisdiction of the RC in the Adriatic Sea.
Figure 1. Marine and underwater areas of the Republic of
Croatia in the Adriatic Sea. Source: Created by the author
based on available data from [20].
The control of navigation in coastal waters
conducted by the state involves a set of activities
aimed at enhancing the security of navigation and
protecting national interests. An appropriate level of
navigation safety is primarily reflected in providing
assistance to ships in distress and especially in the
efficient organization of maritime traffic [13].
Maritime situational awareness is a fundamental
prerequisite for the effective and safe conduct of all
activities at sea (maritime traffic control or traditional
maritime warfare). Due to the diversity of tasks,
cooperation among all SABs responsible for
protecting national rights and interests at sea, as well
as the interconnection of their sensor capacities, is
essential. The tracking and control of all activities in
the entire maritime area where the Republic of Croatia
exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction (IW, TS,
and EEZ) are significant components in achieving all
legitimate rights and interests of the RC at sea. The
SABs whose missions and tasks are related to the sea
have developed their own operational capabilities in
implementing control and protecting the rights and
interests of the Republic of Croatia at sea. The SABs
are ministries and state administrative organizations
that control and monitor the interests of the Republic
of Croatia at sea [25]:
− Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure
(hereinafter: MSTI),
− Ministry of Agriculture - Directorate of Fisheries
(hereinafter: MA-DoF),
− Ministry of the Interior (hereinafter: MoI), and
− Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia
(hereinafter: MoD).
In accordance with the provisions of the Maritime
Code, Articles 75a and 75c, maritime traffic control
and management are conducted in the IW, TS, and
EEZ of the Republic of Croatia in order to increase the
safety of maritime navigation, the efficiency of
maritime traffic, and the protection of the marine
environment. In this regard, maritime objects
navigating or located within the area of control and
management are required to provide data to the
vessel traffic service and comply with the orders of
the vessel traffic service [10], [12]. The most important
component in tracking and controlling activities at sea
is the integration among participants from the SABs
involved in or affecting the maintenance of maritime
traffic, all with the aim of receiving and exchanging
data on maritime objects navigating the Adriatic Sea -
eastern part. The entities actively involved in the
control and management of maritime traffic in the
Adriatic Sea are as follows: Vessel Traffic Services,
Harbour Master's Offices (hereinafter: HMO) and
Harbour Branch Offices, Harbour Control Centres,
maritime rescue coordination centres (hereinafter:
MRCC), Adriatic Marine Meteorological Centre,
Plovput, Croatian Register of Shipping, Croatian
Hydrographic Institute (hereinafter: CHI), Coastal
Liner Service Agency, Maritime Police, Coast Guard
of the Republic of Croatia (hereinafter: CGRC), pilots,
tugboats, and the vessel traffic services of other
Adriatic Sea countries [12]. Indicators of human
resources and operational forces of the SABs of the RC
in the period from January 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023,
are presented in Table 1 [14].
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Table 1. Human Resources and Material Assets of the SABs of the RC
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
State administration bodies Number of Vessels Aeroplanes Unmanned aerial
employees 2022 Large boars Small boats helicopters vehicles
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
MoD 223 6 6 6 0
MSTI 100 4 34 0 0
MoI 280 7 49 2 0
MA-DoF 42 0 8 0 6
Ministry of Finance – 24 0 4 0 0
Customs Administration
Ministry of Culture and Media 6 - - - 0
State Inspectorate 35 - - - 0
Croatian Firefighting Association 140 0 17 0 6
Civil Protection Directorate 132 - - - 0
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL 982 17 118 8 12
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Source: Created by the author based on available data from [14].
Table 1 shows a comparative overview of the SABS
that control and monitor the interests of the RC at sea.
Each individual SAB is equipped with a certain
number of personnel, vessels with specific
characteristics and categories of seaworthiness,
aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles with the aim of
carrying out independent or joint actions in the
protection of the rights and interests of the RC at sea.
From the annual analysis of the observed period, it
can be concluded that human resources and material
assets are operationally evenly distributed between
the MSTI, MoI and MoD.
Figure 2 shows the geographical distribution of all
vessel traffic services in the RC.
Figure 2. Vessel Traffic Services of the Republic of Croatia.
[Source: Created by the author based on available data from
[9], [12], [14].
2.1 Operational Schedule - Functional Limitations of
Systems and Sensors of State Administration Bodies
In order to timely detect and eliminate potential
threats, the Vessel Traffic Service enables systematic
protection of the rights and interests of the Republic
of Croatia (RH) at sea by continuously controlling
maritime traffic (traffic density, potential navigational
hazards, hydro-meteorological conditions in the
controlled area, etc.), distributing collected data in
real-time, and implementing national jurisdiction. A
real-time integrated picture of maritime traffic is
obtained using radar systems, Automatic
Identification System (hereinafter: AIS) equipment
and devices, hydro-meteorological sensors, the
NAVTEX service for direct printing, communication
equipment, the information system, and video
surveillance devices. Each of these systems can
operate independently. Integration into a single entity
facilitates easier access to maritime traffic monitoring
and management [1], [19]. Radar surveillance
provides an almost continuous wide situational
picture (so-called plan-panorama monitoring) and
simultaneously provides information on multiple
targets. The complementary radar visibility, with
software image fusion in conjunction with other
sensors (AIS, closed-circuit television (hereinafter:
CCTV) subsystem, laser rangefinder, etc.), contributes
additionally in hydro-meteorologically unfavourable
conditions to the monitoring of the maritime situation
at sea [21].
For maritime traffic management and control, and
for supporting search and rescue at sea, the MSTI uses
navigation radars Scanter 2001 and Sperry Marine
Vision Master FT, AIS base stations, CCTV
surveillance cameras, and the Vessel Traffic
Management and Information System (VTMIS). The
radar system of the National Centre for Vessel Traffic
Service (hereinafter: VTS) consists of a network of
radar stations placed in geographic locations that
provide the highest quality radar images of the
controlled area. The system enables the recognition
and calculation of motion identifiers in space
(direction, distance and speed) [2]. The operational
deployment and coverage areas [detection coverage
for radar reflective surface areas larger than five
square meters (m²)] of 10 commercial navigation
radars MSTI Scanter 2001 and one Sperry Marine
Vision Master FT MSTI are shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. VTS radars – MSTI. [Source: Created by the author
based on available data from [14].
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The Scanter 2001 radar operates in the X-band and
is adapted for installation on the coast and islands.
The radar VTS stations are mounted at the following
stations: Ilijino Brdo, Lastovo, Mljet, Vis, Žirje,
Labinštica, Dugi Otok, Osoršćica, Razromir, and Sveti
Martin. At the radar station of the signal station
Jadrija, a Sperry Marine Vision Master FT radar
device is installed.
The AIS system architecture includes AIS devices
such as: receivers, navigational aids, search and
rescue transmitters, and base stations. The AIS
stations located along the coast and on islands are:
Dubrovnik, Mljet, Lastovo, Ploče, Vis, Makarska,
Split, Šibenik, Žirje, Zadar, Dugi Otok, Rab, Susak,
Crikvenica, Goli, Brijuni, and Savudrija. The
operational deployment and coverage areas of the 17
AIS base stations of the MSTI are shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. AIS system VTS – MMPI. [Source: Created by the
author based on available data from [14].
For management and control of the vessel traffic,
the MSTI also uses five long-range CCTV surveillance
cameras. The VTMIS system distributes data to local
centres in Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik, to the MoI in
the National Maritime Centre for Data Collection
(hereinafter: NMCDC) in Zadar, and to the MoD in
the Naval Operations Centre of the Croatian Navy
(hereinafter: NOC) in Split [12].
For long-distance observation from a ship or from
the coast, radar systems and sensors are used, whose
limitations are particularly emphasized in a littoral
environment. As an active source, radar transmits
pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic energy that
can be easily identified, and based on the measured
data, effectively jammed [11]. The purpose of radar
and radar system jamming is to provide false or
deceptive signals to vessels of the SABs and the vessel
traffic service systems. Jamming leads to the creation
of a false maritime situational picture and makes it
difficult to detect actual target signals [8]. It should be
emphasized that jamming and damage are more
likely to occur to the data tracking objects than to the
raw radar signal (ARPA and AIS). The limitations of
the AIS system include potential for incorrect
information (which is evident through the possibility
of receiving incorrect AIS data from the ship—one of
the major limitations of the AIS system), the
possibility of manipulating AIS data, and the
challenges of interpreting the data (assessing and
interpreting the data to make it truly useful) [3]. To
verify the authenticity and validity of the data, it is
necessary to continually inform and train naval deck
officers and surveillance system operators at the nine
coastal monitoring stations of the Croatian Navy
(hereinafter: CMS).
In accordance with the State Border Control Act
(hereinafter: SBCA), the monitoring of the state border
is under the jurisdiction of the MoI, and border
control duties are carried out by the border police
state. The monitoring and control of the SBaS and the
entire maritime space at the national level is
conducted in the NMCDC and the National
Coordination Centre in Zagreb. In the NMCDC, real-
time surveillance of maritime border crossings is
enabled with the display of all data obtained from
remote sensors, strategically deployed in locations
Klek, Zaton Doli and Brijest. Here, we refer to a radar
system with integrated thermal imaging and
day/night (hereinafter: PTZ) radar-guided cameras
with target tracking capabilities.
The NOC includes personnel from the Croatian
Navy and the Croatian Air Force with the intention of
consolidating all collected and processed data and
taking timely and effective measures. The maritime
situational picture is monitored using various,
independent and mutually unconnected systems. By
transmitting and distributing the maritime picture to
partners of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(hereinafter: NATO), the basic prerequisite for
security protection in the Mediterranean force domain
is created. The NOC, based on input data, creates an
overview of activities for the next 96 hours, which is
considered optimal time to command forces on the
ground, and to form task forces within this time.
2.2 Violations of Border Crossings
From the annual analysis [18], it can be concluded that
the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Police Administration
recorded the highest number of violations regarding
the protection of the SBaS). In the observed period, it
is evident that the primary operationally recorded
offense was a violation of Article 5 of the Schengen
Borders Code.
Since January 2023, with the unanimous support of
all EU member states, the Republic of Croatia has
become the 27th member of the Schengen Area and
fully applies the Schengen acquis. Border controls at
land and maritime border crossings have been
abolished, and since March 2023, they have also been
abolished at Croatian airports for flights to and from
Schengen member states. According to the Regulation
Amending the Regulation on Croatian Border
Crossings, all seasonal border crossings for
international passenger traffic in maritime transport
have been abolished since January 2023. Permanent
border crossings for international passenger and cargo
traffic with inspection services, as well as permanent
border crossings for international passengers and
cargo traffic in maritime transport, have remained the
same [22]. The new permanent border crossings for
international passenger traffic in maritime transport
since 2023 are the folowing:
− "Umag" (Umag Police Station),
− "Pula" (Pula Maritime and Airport Police Station),
− "Mali Lošinj" (Mali Lošinj Police Station),
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− "Vis" (Vis Police Station),
− "Ubli" (Lastovo Police Station) and
− "Cavtat" (Gruda Police Station).
The record and analysis of SBaS protection
violations by jurisdiction of PAs are carried out at the
NMCDC in Zadar.
2.3 Analysis of Recorded Violations of State Maritime
Border Protection by Police Administrations
Violations are determined by monitoring vessel
movements using technical systems and by the
actions of SABs with official vessels along the SBaS
and inland through compensatory measures, as well
as by the actions of police officers at border crossings
during border control. The total number of recorded
violations in the implementation of SBaS control and
protection, divided by the jurisdiction of the PAs from
January 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023, is shown in Figure
5.
Figure 5. Violations of the protection of the state border at
sea according to the competences of the PU. Source: Created
by the author based on available data from [18].
During the observed period, the most
operationally vulnerable maritime territory of Croatia
is the area under the jurisdiction of the Dubrovnik-
Neretva County PA, where the highest number of
violations in the domain of SBaS control and
protection (51%) was recorded. This is followed by the
Split-Dalmatia County PA (17%) and the Istria County
PA (14%). In the maritime area of Croatia, there have
been no cases of illegal border crossings aimed at
permanent settlement in the EU (illegal migration). In
the event of migrants arriving by sea, the most
vulnerable area would be the southern Adriatic,
specifically the area of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County
PA. However, there is currently no information
suggesting the activation of a migrant route through
the southern Adriatic [18]. A spatial representation of
recorded violations in the implementation of SBaS
control and protection by police administration
jurisdiction from January 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023, is
shown in Figure 6.
The joint cooperation of all SABs responsible for
tasks of control, detection, identification, and
sanctioning of violators in order to protect the SBaS
concretely supports the thesis of the study on the need
to find an optimal geographical position on the
eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia for
repositioning the resources of the Croatian Armed
Forces to strengthen the effectiveness of protecting
Croatian interests in the eastern part of the Adriatic
Sea.
Figure 6. Locations of DGM protection violations (year 2019
- 2022). Source: Created by the author based on available
data from [18].
2.4 Comparative Analysis of Maritime Traffic Safety
According to the National Maritime Rescue
Coordination Centre
Due to the large number of islands, islets, and reefs,
variable meteorological conditions, and high density
of maritime traffic, the Adriatic Sea is considered
dangerous for navigation in terms of safety. Every
year, based on the records of the National Maritime
Rescue Coordination Centre, the Navigation Safety
Directorate of the MSTI onducts an analysis of
recorded maritime accidents and incidents in the
Adriatic Sea (Ordinance on the Internal Organization
of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and
Infrastructure (NN 97/20)). In order to improve the
quality of the work of the National Maritime Rescue
Coordination Centre, statistical data tables have been
systematically updated and adapted to new situations
in maritime traffic within the jurisdiction of the
MRCC [7]. Despite the safety measures implemented
by the MSTI, the MoI, and the MoD a total of 2,251
search and rescue interventions (hereinafter: SAR)
were carried out in the Adriatic Sea from January 1,
2019, to January 1, 2023.
Table 2 shows a comparative overview of all
maritime operations performed by territorial area
between 2019 and 2022 within the responsibility area
of the MRCC Rijeka is shown.
Table 2. Overview of maritime operations by the territorial
division of the Croatian sea
________________________________________________
AREA 2019 2020 2021 2022
________________________________________________
IW and TS of the Republic of Croatia 601 475 607 546
Exclusive Economic Zone (former 11 5 3 3
EFPZ ) of the Republic of Croatia
and outside of the area of jurisdiction
of the Republic of Croatia
________________________________________________
TOTAL 612 480 610 549
________________________________________________
Source: Created by the author based on available data from
[14], [15], [16], [17].
By analyzing the data shown in Table 2, it can be
concluded that each year the majority of maritime
interventions by the Croatian SABsS occur within the
IW and TS of the RC (more than 99%, with less than
one percent in the contiguous zone and outside the
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jurisdiction of the RC). In Figure 7, the annual
distribution of maritime operations in the IW, TS,
EEZ, and outside the jurisdiction of the RC within the
MRCC Rijeka jurisdiction from January 1, 2019, to
January 1, 2023, is visible.
Figure 7. Annual maritime operations towards the territorial
area of the Republic of Croatia at sea. Source: Created by the
author based on available data from [14], [15], [16], [17].
Table 3 shows a comparative overview of all SAR
maritime operations performed by the jurisdiction of
Croatian HMOs between 2019 and 2022.
The comparative overview of all SAR maritime
actions by the jurisdiction of harbour master’s offices
from January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2023, is visible in
Figure 8.
Figure 8. Implementation of maritime SAR operations
according to the competences of the Republic of Croatia
(2022). Source: Created by the author based on available
data from [14], [15], [16], [17].
By analyzing the data shown in Table 3, it can be
concluded that all the HMOs participated in SAR
operations at sea. The largest number of SAR
operations at sea were carried out in the jurisdiction
of the Zadar Harbour Master’s Office. In Table 4, a
comparative overview of the engagement of all
maritime traffic participants' vessels in SAR
operations from 2019 to 2022 is shown [SAB (MSTI
(vessel units of the harbour master’s offices, MoI
(vessel units of the maritime police), MoD (vessel
units of the CGRC), commercial rescuers, Croatian
Mountain Rescue Service, and all the other maritime
traffic participants] in the execution of rescue
operations at sea from 2019 to 2022.
In the detailed data analysis of the engagement of
vessels, it can be noted that the highest share of
engagement in SAR operations at sea was carried out
by the rescue vessels of the HMOs. The annual
overview of recorded vessel engagements is visible in
Figure 9.
Figure 9. Engagement of rescue vessels in 2019 – 2022.
Source: Created by the author based on available data from
[14], [15], [16], [17].
Table 3. Comparative overview of all SAR maritime operations by the jurisdiction of Croatian harbour mater’s offices from
2019 to 2022
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
HARBOUR MASTER’S OFFICE 2019 2019 % 2020 2020 % 2021 2021 % 2022 2022 %
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pula 49 7.96 32 6.70 32 5.25 21 3.83
Rijeka 91 14.80 67 14.05 69 11.33 55 10.02
Senj 19 3.09 9 1.89 8 1.30 23 4.19
Zadar 214 34.96 164 34.17 196 32.13 234 42.96
Šibenik 109 18.05 112 23.27 123 20.16 90 16.39
Split 60 9.76 36 7.34 121 19.84 65 11.84
Ploče 5 0.81 3 0.63 6 0.98 3 0.55
Dubrovnik 54 8.78 52 10.90 52 8.52 55 10.02
EEZ (former EFPZ) of the RC and outside 11 1.79 5 1.05 3 0.49 3 0.55
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL 612 100.00 480 100.00 610 100.00 549 100.00
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Source: Created by the author based on available data from [14], [15], [16], [17].
Table 4. Engagement of vessels in SAR operations from 2019 to 2022.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
VESSEL UNITS 2019 2019 % 2020 2020 % 2021 2021 % 2022 2022 %
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Harbour master’s offices 473 56.92 362 54,93 477 57.68 426 53.52
MoI 93 11,19 75 11.38 109 13.18 109 13.96
CGRC 11 1.32 4 0.61 6 0.72 6 0.75
Commercial rescuers 31 3.73 26 3.95 35 4.23 26 3.27
Croatian Mountain Rescue Service 8 0.96 7 1.06 6 0.72 5 0.63
Other particioants in maritime traffic 215 25.88 185 28.07 194 23.47 197 24.75
TOTAL 831 100.00 659 100.00 827 100.00 769 100.00
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Source: Created by the author based on available data from [14], [15], [16], [17].
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The spatial representation of recorded
extraordinary events at sea in the period from January
1, 2019, to January 1, 2023, is shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10. Locations of extraordinary events at sea (2019 -
2022). Source: Created by the author based on available data
from [14], [15], [16], [17].
To strengthen the effectiveness of the MSTI, the
MoI, and the MoD in protecting Croatia's interests in
the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea in terms of general
maritime safety and security protection of maritime
navigation, systematic updating and adaptation to
new security challenges in maritime traffic within the
jurisdiction of the National Maritime Rescue
Coordination Center is necessary.
2.5 Conceptual Analysis of Maritime Traffic of Ships,
Passengers, and Goods in Seaports
Dubrovnik, Ploče, Split, Šibenik, Zadar, and Rijeka are
ports open to international maritime traffic and are of
exceptional importance for the Croatian economy. In
Croatian ports in 2019, there were a total of 359,223
port calls by domestic and foreign (commercial,
passenger, fishing, and public) vessels (354,708 vessels
with a domestic flag and 4,515 vessels with a foreign
flag). The total cargo traffic in the ports amounted to
20,580,000 tons (domestic cargo traffic amounted to
1,531,000 tons, and international cargo traffic
19,049,000 tons). Passenger traffic in the ports
amounted to 35,576,000 passengers [6]. In 2020, there
was a significant drop in the traffic of ships and
passengers in Croatian ports caused by the COVID-19
pandemic. Table 5 shows a comparative annual
analysis of total maritime traffic of ships, cargo, and
passengers in the period from 2019 to 2022 in Croatian
port.
Table 5. Total maritime traffic of ships, cargo, and
passengers in Croatian seaports from 2019 to 2022
________________________________________________
COMPARISION OF ARRIVED SHIPS
________________________________________________
2019 2020 2021 2022
________________________________________________
359,223 249,012 310,434 342,752
________________________________________________
COMPARISON OF GOODS TRAFFIC IN PORTS
________________________________________________
2019 2020 2021 2022
________________________________________________
20,579,588 21,410,167 21,643,517 23,606,642
________________________________________________
COMPARISON OF NUMBER OF PASSENGERS IN PORTS
________________________________________________
2019 2020 2021 2022
________________________________________________
35,575,936 18,786,582 27,322,367 33,833,931
________________________________________________
Source: Created by the author based on available data from
[5].
Table 6. Clasification of ships arriving at Croatian seaports
from 2019 to 2022
________________________________________________
TYPES OF SHIPS 2019 2020 2021 2022
________________________________________________
Passenger ships 218.021 131.009 171.499 194.368
General cargo ships 118.332 99.614 118.205 129.259
Ribarski brodovi 17.966 14.578 16.634 14.008
Cruise ships 1.454 167 561 1.294
Tankers 783 907 974 1.048
Tow-boats 653 814 687 819
Dry bulk carriers 515 513 561 760
Container ships 463 500 419 380
Miscellenous types 610 471 531 727
Offshore production 365 350 268 6
ships
Specialised ships 57 62 52 48
Dry cargo barges 4 27 43 35
________________________________________________
TOTAL by number 359,223 249,012 310,434 342,752
by GT (,000 t) 404,092 309,233 373,433 428,984
________________________________________________
Source: Created by the author based on available data from
[5].
Table 7. Maritime traffic in the Adriatic Sea - eastern part
according to the most significant seaports within the area of
jurisdiction of the harbour master’s offices of the Republic of
Croatia from 2019 to 2022.
________________________________________________
Seaports Arrived Passenger Cargo
Ships traffic traffic
(in numbers) (in numbers) (in tons)
________________________________________________
Pula-2019 8,972 981,751 215,375
Pula-2020 7,158 514,971 187,195
Pula-2021 8,808 923,946 174,454
Pula-2022 8,200 1,156,646 180,147
Rijeka-2019 2,221 155,378 3,355,620
Rijeka-2020 1,791 66,385 3,512,407
Rijeka-2021 2,189 87,221 4,015,018
Rijeka-2022 2,354 147,033 4,355,051
Zadar-2019 18,276 2,500,768 418,325
Zadar-2020 15,043 1,609,450 416,750
Zadar-2021 17,508 2,090,765 402,755
Zadar-2022 18,387 2,500,794 554,589
Šibenik-2019 26,353 1,058,491 283,712
Šibenik-2020 23,474 598,521 275,594
Šibenik-2021 25,104 759,600 203,494
Šibenik-2022 26,764 1,001,403 406,426
Split-2019 23,468 5,319,441 1,941,985
Split-2020 13,129 2,523,664 2,040,547
Split-2021 16,260 3,835,596 2,204,666
Split-2022 19,934 4,986,819 2,405,600
Ploče-2019 2,281 384,198 3,506,554
Ploče-2020 2,061 286,865 2,541,001
Ploče-2021 2,189 382,343 3,922,911
Ploče-2022 2,247 239,938 5,415,553
Dubrovnik-2019 36,130 3,141,083 20,857
Dubrovnik-2020 17,256 676,934 12,249
Dubrovnik-2021 25,715 1,297,947 48,499
Dubrovnik-2022 36,344 2,451,419 10,280
________________________________________________
Source: Created by the author based on available data from
[5].
By analyzing the data presented in Table 5, it can
be concluded that the evident decrease in the number
of arriving ships and passengers in 2020 compared to
2019 was undoubtedly influenced by the COVID-19
pandemic. Table 6 shows a classification of ships that
entered the Croatian seaports in the period from 2019
to 2022. By analyzing the data, it can be concluded
that the highest number of arrivals in Croatian
seaports was recorded in 2019. When classified by
gross tonnage (hereinafter: GT), the highest number of
ships entered the Croatian seaports in 2022. When
categorized by different types of ships, the most
976
common type of ship in the Croatian seaports from
2019 to 2022 were passenger ships.
The comparative overview of the total recorded
maritime traffic (ships, passengers, and goods) in the
Adriatic Sea - eastern part (Figure 11) has been
elaborated according to the most significant seaports
within the area of jurisdiction of Croatian HMOs from
January 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023, in accordance with
the data in Table 7.
Figure 11. Total maritime traffic of the most important
seaports within the area of jurisdiction of the Maritime LK
of the Republic of Croatia in 2019 – 2022. Source: Created by
the author based on available data from [5].
3 CONCLUSIONS
The paper presents a structural analysis of the
strategic, operational, and tactical levels of the
characteristics of SABS in the implementation of
control and protection of the rights and interests of
the Republic of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea - eastern
part. Using theoretical assumptions, the study was
carried out through the analysis of collected data over
a four-year period. The Adriatic Sea was used as an
exemplary case of a semi-enclosed sea. All the
recorded maritime safety data were systematically
classified through the statistics of maritime accidents
and incidents in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea.
Ship, cargo, and passenger traffic in the Croatian
seaports from January 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023, was
elaborated. The study particularly valued the author’s
multi-year personal experience working within the
Croatian Armed Forces (OSt RH). The paper
identified and detected factors affecting the ability to
achieve a higher level of efficiency in the
implementation of the protection of national rights
and interests of the Republic of Croatia in the Adriatic
Sea - eastern part. The expected contribution of the
research lies in determining the significance and role
of state administration bodies in performing key tasks
in the function of maritime safety in the Republic of
Croatia, improving the system of evaluation and
efficiency of state administration bodies, and
contributing to the development of general
knowledge about maritime affairs and traffic,
especially regarding the system of maritime security
in the maritime areas of sovereignty and sovereign
rights of the Republic of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea -
eastern part.
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