Toward a protected maritime environment of Adriatic region

Abstract

Considering that Adriatic Sea constitutes an important oil transport highway for vessels shipping from Mediterranean Sea through the Otranto channel to the northern ports of Trieste, Koper and Rijeka. The later makes it one of the busiest and at the same time one of the most endangered areas in the Mediterranean Sea thus facing serious environmental threats.From an economic point of view, the Adriatic Sea plays an important role in tourism recreation and economy growth of the coastal countries, but, at the same time the region is one of the most developed industrial area. However, the risk and threat of maritime pollution from oil, hazardous and noxious substances may have equal catastrophic consequences for the environment and important sea-based economic activities. This area has been affected by numerous maritime incidents causing significant damage to the marine environment and to the regional and national coastal businesses. These incidents revealed the lack of cooperation and coordination of response units in regions and counties on both sides of the Adriatic to deal with such incidents at sea. This situation is further being supported from the lack of adequate response equipment, trained and qualified personnel and poor cross-border coordination among the bodies involved in the implementation of the national and regional contingency plans. This paper aims to represent an expanded view of the effects of maritime transport in Mediterranean Sea environment and will emphasize the urgent need for a better cooperation and coordination of all institutions involved in response to oil pollution in Adriatic region.