Panel “Safety, education and sustainability as a roadmap” - Crucial questions for the future of the Adriatic

• 14.10.2025.
• News

If you are a skipper, part of a crew, a yacht charter company owner or simply someone who cares about the future of the Adriatic, mark the date October 22. You will have the opportunity to hear first-hand what nautical experts are planning for safer and more sustainable sailing.

As part of this year's Biograd Boat Show, on October 22, 2025, the Croatian Yacht Skippers and Crew Association (CROSCA) is organizing a panel discussion entitled “Safety, Education and Sustainability as a Roadmap”. 

The panel will be held from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the Captains' Club Congress Hall, and will bring together leading people from maritime administration, ecology, education and the yacht charter industry.

 

Why is this panel important?

This is not another general discussion on topics and challenges in nautical science. The panel “Safety, Education and Sustainability as a Guide” will discuss very specific topics that directly affect the daily work of skippers, guest safety, preservation of the Adriatic and the working conditions of crews. 

These are topics that require dialogue, not only between institutions and professionals, but also between practice and regulation.

The most important topics to be discussed:
1. Safety at Sea - Article 53, paragraph 7 of the Regulations 
Special emphasis will be placed on Article 53, paragraph 7 of the new Regulations on Safety. According to CROSCA, the Regulations are incomplete and incomplete, so in practice every report from a dissatisfied local resident leads to the intervention of the captain's office and the relocation of the ship - even in situations without an actual violation.

2. Environmental protection - black and grey tanks, posidonia
The discussion on environmental protection focuses on the regulation of emptying black and grey tanks, the implementation of the MAR-POL Convention in Croatia, and the challenges posed by ships with a large number of passengers and insufficient wastewater capacity. Special emphasis is placed on the protection of posidonia, the problematic nature of existing anchorages in sensitive areas, and the question of whether stern anchoring is more environmentally friendly than chain anchoring. In addition, the feasibility of mass installation of buoys in bays is being questioned, especially for larger yachts.

3. Skippers as guardians of the Adriatic
In cooperation with the Croatian Red Cross, CROSCA is developing a pilot project in which skippers, in addition to their maritime license, would also complete a course in open water rescue, which would legally allow them to become members of volunteer teams for interventions at sea - similar to the HGSS in the mountains. The goal is to improve the status of skippers in the eyes of institutions and promote the skipper as a useful and responsible member of the community.

4. Maritime certificates - where we are and why we are late 
The association warns of a serious problem: the Croatian brevet is not valid for boarding foreign yachts in commercial activities. Many skippers have to go abroad (e.g. Malta) to complete the entire cycle of education and training, because this is currently not possible in Croatia. The question that will be raised is - what can we do to change this?

5. Minimum standards of accommodation for crews
The last, but no less important topic concerns the accommodation conditions for crews - especially in the forward cabins of catamarans, which are often too low, without ventilation and below any standard for human habitation. The CROSCA association is preparing a proposal for regulations that it will present at this very fair. The goal is for yacht charter companies to also accept the minimum standard and thus provide more dignified working conditions.

Who is participating in the panel “Safety, education and sustainability as a guide?

The aim of the panel is to bring together experts and representatives of the most important institutions, and the following participants have been invited:

• Siniša Orlić, Captain, Director of the Navigation Safety Administration (MMPI)
• Toni Maričević, Head of the Navigation Safety and Environmental Protection Sector at Sea and Inland Waters (MMPI)
• Alen Rukavina, Captain of the Zadar Port Authority
• Ante Gović, Captain of the Šibenik Port Authority
• Željko Kuštera, Captain of the Split Port Authority
• Neven Karas, Assistant Director of Civil Protection
• Robert Markt, Executive President of the Croatian Red Cross
• Petar Boić, Director of Cian d.o.o.
• Gabrijela Medunić Orlić, Executive Director of the Sunce Association
• Paško Klisović, President of the Nautical Tourism Association at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce
• Katarina Barić, Representative of the Adria Libar Maritime College
• Vicko Ozretić, President of the CROSCA Association

The panel will be moderated by Sandra Barčot, a well-known maritime journalist and editor.

 

Who is this panel discussion for? 

This discussion is open to skippers, crew leaders, yacht charter company owners, agents, educators, eco-activists, as well as all those who believe that the future of nautical tourism is sustainable only if there is a dialogue between the profession and institutions.

Biograd Boat Show brings together top industry professionals every year, but rarely does the space open up for such a concrete and operational discussion. 

This panel discussion provides exactly that - an opportunity for direct communication with decision-makers and people for whom nautical is a job, but also a lifestyle.

And here's why: Book the date - October 22, 4 p.m.
Venue: Captains' Club Congress Hall, Biograd Boat Show 2025.
More information by email: vicko.ozretic@crosca.com

Photo: Biograd Boat Show 

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