Slovenia Fire Near Croatia: Under Control, 1 Dead, Winds Expected
July 22, 2022 - The Slovenia fire near Croatia is now under control, though strong winds are expected in the afternoon. The latest update.
In the Slovenian Kars region, along the border with Italy, they are still fighting the fire that claimed the first victim last night, a civil defense member who died on the Italian side, reports Index.hr.
The Slovenian army still helps firefighters today
The Slovenian army is still of great help to firefighters. They are assisted by three large Bell 412 helicopters and a Pilatus PC-6 aircraft. In addition, neighboring countries are helping Slovenia again - Serbia and Hungary provided two firefighting helicopters, and Austria provided one.
Thick smoke is rising from the fire site in many places, but firefighters reassure people and say nothing is burning there.
Strong winds are expected in the afternoon; firefighters are afraid of the fire spreading
Although firefighters have the fire under control now, they are concerned about the weather forecast as stronger winds are expected again in the afternoon, which could spread the fire.
Airplanes and helicopters will help the firefighters on the ground today. The fire will have to be put out until the first heavy rain. If there is no rain for a month, the firefighters will have to be on the ground the entire time.
Veterinarians save animals from fires
In addition to members of the civil defense and firefighters, field veterinarians who help protect domestic animals and look for temporary shelters for animals in villages where the evacuation of the population has been ordered also participate in interventions due to fires in the Kars area, writes Delo.
According to Samuel Kosmač, the biggest problem is a barn with about 20 dairy cows and calves on a farm in the village of Temnica, from where the locals were evacuated yesterday morning. In the afternoon, the general danger alarm was turned on again. Firefighters tried to protect residential and commercial buildings from the fire.
According to an Ajdovo veterinary clinic veterinarian, the field veterinarian should have ordered the animals to be moved to a barn in the neighboring village, but there are no dairy cows there. The interlocutors interviewed by Delo journalists say that it would be best if part of the firefighters stayed in the village and protected the barn and the animals.
The Food Safety Administration did not provide detailed information on how domestic animals are cared for and rescued at fire sites.
The Slovenian Prime Minister announced compensation for volunteer firefighters
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob announced on the 24ur Zvečer program that the government intends to recognize compensation for volunteer firefighters who put out fires in the Kars area.
"We were aware of some anomalies in the firefighting system, and we will most likely pass a measure tomorrow at the correspondence session of the government according to which, after the activation of the state plan, we will recognize compensation for all volunteer firefighters. We will also change the law on firefighting, or we will regulate that part of the law. Before that, we will provide compensation to the firefighters fighting the fires in the Kars area to at least show the state's gratitude," said Golob, who had previously stated that Slovenia will be more prepared for the next fire season when it comes to aerial extinguishing because he believes that is now too dependent on solidarity aid from neighboring countries.
500 firefighters continue to fight the fire in the Kars region
Firefighters continue to fight the fire in the Kars area today, because a fire broke out near Cerje late on Thursday afternoon. The night was difficult for everyone who fought the fire in the mountainous region.
The fire line towards Trstelje is still active.
"The fire is under control."
The fire line is still active, and a lot of fire and smoke can be seen on the Italian side of the border, which is why 500 firefighters were active during the night. "The fires are under control," announced the Northern Coast fire station commander.
A civil protection volunteer died in the fire on the Italian side
Italian media reported that civil protection member Elena Lo Duca (56) died during an investigation on the Italian side of the burned area.
According to local Italian media, Lo Duca was conducting an investigation and was crushed by a burnt tree. Lo Duca was a policewoman who also volunteered for civil protection.
The Chief of Police in Prepott, Lamberto Giannini, pointed out that this tragic event saddened the entire police force.
"The great enthusiasm Elena put into her work will always be an example to all. I express my condolences on behalf of all the men and women of the state police for this difficult loss of the family," said Police Chief Giannini.
The big fire on the Slovenian Kars near the border with Italy is not calming down, as evidenced by the dramatic stories of the locals who describe the situation as "desperate" while trying to save "what can be saved" with the firefighters.
The fires in western Slovenia have been going on for the fifth day, and the most destructive fire that spread from Italy two days ago has destroyed more than two thousand hectares so far.
Firefighters from most of the country were engaged in extinguishing the biggest fire in the history of Slovenia, and Italy, Croatia, Austria, and Slovakia sent helicopters and Canadairs to help.
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Japanese Investment to See Sesvete Factory Produce Glass Ampoules
July the 22nd, 2022 - One Sesvete factory near the City of Zagreb is set to produce packaging in the form of glass ampoules for various medicines following an investment from the Japanese company Nipro.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, on Wednesday, the Japanese mega-company Nipro Corporation Japan presented its investment of more than 100 million kuna in a Sesvete factory, where they are building a new ampoule and vial factory for the pharmaceutical industry - Nipro Pharma Packaging Hrvatska.
As is already known, last spring, Nipro Corporation Japan bought the former Piramida factory in Sesvete from the Blue Sea Capital fund, which was recently declared the most successful acquisition of the entire year.
As they revealed during a recent tour of the construction site and plant, Nipro Japan has chosen this Sesvete factory as its Global Centre of Excellence in the production of glass ampoules. The Sesvete factory is already working significantly more than the initial expectations and growing faster than was planned, and is currently among the three leading players in the production of ampoules and vials for medicines in the whole world.
In Sesvete, almost two million ampoules and vials for filling various medicines around the world are produced daily. To be more specific, Blue Sea Capital fund has already invested significant funds in the modernisation of production, the acquisition of eight new production lines and the development of business with bottles.
Under the ownership of Blue Sea Capital, Piramida managed to increase its number of employees by 35 percent and doubled its production capacity and revenues, and the company was among the five largest manufacturers of glass ampoules for the pharmaceutical industry on the European market during last year's takeover.
After the completion of this investment, an additional increase in production to more than two and a half million ampoules and vials per day is expected, as are fifty new jobs.
Kresimir Secak, a member of the board of Nipro Pharma Packaging Hrvatska, revealed that in the near future, sterile glass injections will be produced in the Sesvete factory, which are one of the most demanding products into which medicines are filled.
"In the Sesvete factory, we produce more than 650 million glass containers a year, which are filled with medicines that save or help human lives around the world, and we're extremely proud of that. For management and our workers, this decision to become a Global Centre of Excellence for ampoules, as well as the continuation of investments, is great international recognition. This recognition is the result of the hard work, expertise and dedication of our employees that they have shown over the past decades," said Secak.
Nipro's global revenue back in 2021 was 3.5 billion euros, and Nipro Hrvatska's stood at 14.3 million euros. Secak revealed that this year they expect that growth to accelerate and revenue to increase to 16.2 million euros, and simpler operations next year will be enabled thanks to Croatia finally joining the Eurozone.
Stephan Arnold, the CEO of Nipro Pharma Packaging International confirmed that the company has ambitious growth plans for Croatia. "We're increasing our capacities and expanding our technical capabilities to more locations, but in Croatia specifically, we're rapidly accelerating our investment plans. We have established synergy with other factories in our production network and are setting up centres of excellence across the entire Nipro group. Nipro Pharma Packaging Hrvatska has been selected as Nipro's Global Centre of Excellence in ampoule production," said Arnold.
The Japanese ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, Iso Masato, also assessed Croatia's entry into the Eurozone and Schengen as a positive thing, assessing that this, as well as Croatia's new good credit ratings, will further open up and attract foreign investments to the country, possibly more Japanese ones as well.
"Nipro's investment in the Sesvete factory is proof that Japanese investors see the potential Croatia has. There is also interest from others, and we want the year 2023, in which we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, to be good for our economic relations as well," said Masato.
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Safe Sailing 2022 Campaign to Begin on Croatian Adriatic Today
July the 22nd, 2022 - The Safe Sailing 2022 campaign/action is kicking off today in part of the Croatian Adriatic Sea as the height of the summer tourist season takes a firm hold on the coast.
As Morski writes, the Safe Sailing 2022 campaign, which is an action involving the enhanced monitoring of navigation safety across the croatian Adriatic Sea, will be held today, Friday, July the 22nd, starting at 10:00, in the area of all port authorities along the entire Croatian coast. The planned duration of the action is until 18:00 that same day.
The Safe Sailing 2022 campaign will include all available vessels and the employees of all of the country's port authorities, along with the associated port offices and the Service for the Supervision and Management of Maritime Traffic.
The Safe Sailing 2022 campaign aims to warn and inform all participants in Croatian maritime traffic of rules and potential dangers, and protect them from being involved in sometimes tragic maritime accidents during the period of increased traffic during the height of the summer tourist season, when there is also a significant increase in the presence of domestic and foreign vessels in Croatian waters.
A special emphasis of these increased surveillance activities will be focused on the control of improper sailing speeds and gliding in an illegal areas, such as within certain distances of beaches and the shoreline, and surveillance will also be carried out on boat rentals, for unscrupulous swimmers and divers, passenger boats dealing with one-day trips and other participants in maritime traffic.
The Safe Sailing 2022 campaign will be monitored live on behalf of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure by the State Secretary for the Sea and European Union (EU) Funds, Josip Bilaver, and the Director of the Navigation Safety Administration, Captain Sinisa Orlic.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Croatian Agriculture Ministry to Help Fire-Stricken Sibenik-Knin County
July the 22nd, 2022 - Fire-stricken Sibenik-Knin County is set to get help set out in special measures introduced and activated by the Croatian Agriculture Ministry to rebuild what was lost to the flames.
As Morski writes, the Minister of Agriculture, Marija Vuckovic, visited the fire-stricken areas spanning Sibenik-Knin County this week, where she announced that aid for these areas from the Croatian Agriculture Ministry was set to come.
A large number of OPG (family farm) owners in Sibenik-Knin County suffered enormous damage and losses from the recent wildfire that consumed more than three thousand hectares of land in Zaton, Raslina and Vodice. Among the family farms that lost everything in the fire is that of Ivan Cvitan, whose 400 olive trees were burned in the flames, as well as the OPG owned and managed by Drazen Severdija, whose vineyard was also totally destroyed by fire.
In the Vodice area, large losses in the number of beehives and olive trees are recorded, which is absolutely tragic for numerous reasons. The aforementioned Sibenik-Knin County family farms were visited by the Minister of Agriculture, who announced the arrival of financial assistance for this Dalmatian county.
''We, as the competent ministry, will help in the restoration of the burned olive groves and vineyards through a decision made by the Croatian Government, and in cooperation with Sibenik-Knin County's administration. According to the information we received out here on the ground, about 100 hectares of olive groves, vineyards and orchards were burned down, and we will see what the damage assessment will be. In any case, we will certainly activate measure number five, which will help with the reconstruction of the burned areas,'' announced Minister Vuckovic.
As a quick reminder, due to the wildfire in which more than three thousand hectares of land in Zaton, Raslina and Vodice burned a week ago, not to mention around houses, Sibenik-Knin County declared a state of major disaster. A devastating thirty houses, several cars, boats and agricultural machinery were burnt, and domestic and farm animals lost their lives.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Seven Living Croatian Noble Pen Shells Discovered in Porec Waters
July the 22nd, 2022 - Croatian noble pen shells, much like pen shells which were once found in abundance across the Mediterranean, are now a dying breed. To save them from becoming extinct, a fate from which they'd never return, they are strictly protected by law in Croatia, and there are numerous initiatives underway to keep them alive.
Seven living Croatian noble pen shells have been found in the Porec waters, which is enough to give researchers, experts and carers a spring in their step.
As Lucio Lorencin/Morski writes, on July the 17th, the Porec-based Society for Underwater Activities and Sport Fishing conducted a diving search in the area of Plicina Civran. The aim of the search was to verify reports of live Croatian noble pen shells (Pinna nobilis). In addition to the Porec club, divers from Medulin clubs also participated: EKO MORE and RK "CENTAR".
The divers searched the seabed, spanning two hectares. To the great surprise and satisfaction of all participants, seven live Croatian noble pen shells were found among the many shells of dead ones, likely victims of the disease which swept the Mediterranean back in 2016, snuffing out the lives of many.
One of the pen shells found is "older", with a height of around 20 cm. The other 6 are younger, ranging from 10 to 60 mm tall. The people of Porec affectionately gave the name "Puskica" to the larger of the shells. The other small pen shells found alive in this area are located in the zone around Puskica.
Of the Croatian noble pen shells found in the Plicina Civran area, which lies just north of Porec, the smallest one is somewhat special. While all the others are anchored naturally into the sand, this one is growing attached to a small sea sponge - Spongia officinalis.
The bottom is rocky and interspersed with sandy surfaces. Puskica is surrounded by a meadow of "thin" sea fringe, comprised of a type of sea algae from the "Cymodoceaceae" family. The Medulin divers recalled that they had previously discovered the most numerous living pen shells in the meadows of a marine flowering plant called "Posidonia oceanica".
The Medulin diving association EKO MORE, at the instigation of Marinko Babic, has been involved in the search for surviving Croatian noble pen shells since back in autumn 2020.
Since then, they've found 9 live pen shells in the waters of Medulin and Pula. Under the coordination of biologist Sandro Dujmovic from the Brijuni National Park Public Institution and Silvie Buttignoni from JU "Natura Histrica", metal cages were placed around 7 of those pen shells to protect them from possible predators (octopus, crabs, sea bream, and of course, humans).
Noble pen shells were observed dying en masse in Spain back in 2016 owing to a disease, and since then it has affected the entire Mediterranean. Here in the Adriatic Sea, the first pen shell deaths were recorded in 2019. Mortality in many locations is a tragic 100%, and due to the dramatic decline in their population, the noble pen shell received the status of a critically endangered species in just one year.
It is believed that the cause of this pen shell plague is a parasite called "Haplosporidium pinnae". Sea currents and especially higher sea temperatures in the summer months favour the transfer from pericarp to pericarp.
In 2020, the occurrence of this plague affected Mediterranean countries with pen shell population mortality of up to 100%. So far, not a single effective method has been established that could prevent plague and the spread of infection.
In order to preserve the noble pen shell as of 2020, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development implemented a project called ''The preservation of the pinna nobilis in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea''.
According to this project, the Adriatic is divided into three regions: northern, central and southern. The coordinators of the activities by region are: the Brijuni National Park Public Institution (for the northern Adriatic), the Telascica Nature Park Public Institution (for the central Adriatic) and the "More i karst" Institution (for the southern Adriatic). Everyone who notices a live pen shell is invited to remember the location and report it to the regional coordinators. It is important to note that Croatian noble pen shells should never be touched, it is enough to gently wave near it with your fingers the under water, if it is alive, the shell will close.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Conference League 2nd Qualifying Round: Osijek Beats Kyzylzhar, Djurgarden Beats Rijeka
July 22, 2022 - Osijek and Rijeka played the first leg of the Conference League 2nd qualifying round on Thursday night.
Osijek beat Kazakhstani club Kyzylzhar 2-1 (0-0) away in the first match of the Conference League 2nd qualifying round. Osijek went into the match as favorites, which is confirmed by the fact that they are six times more valuable than Kyzylzhar.
In the Kazakhstan championship so far, Kyzylzhar played 15 games with only three wins, six draws, and the same number of losses with a goal difference of 15:20.
Osijek thus achieved their first away European victory after five years with goals in the second half. Mihret Topčagić scored a header in the 58th minute, while Laszlo Kleinheisler headed into the net in the 76th to make it 2-0. In the 84th, an incredible own goal was scored by Darko Nejašmić for the final 2-1 Osijek. Osijek even scored a third goal at the very end of the match, but it was disallowed as it was called offside.
The return match will be played in Osijek next Thursday.
Rijeka played later Thursday night in the Conference League 2nd qualifying round at Rujevica against Swedish club Djurgarden. Rijeka, unfortunately, lost 1-2 to Djurgarden.
Djurgarden has already played 14 rounds of the domestic championship compared to Rijeka, who have only played the first round of the Croatian championship against Šibenik.
Rijeka started well and took the lead with a goal by captain Haris Vučkić in the 13th minute, but Hampus Finndell equalized in the 38th minute, and Victor Edvardsen, who assisted the first goal, brought a complete turnaround and victory for Djurgarden in the 54th minute.
The second leg in Stockholm is scheduled for next week.
Recall, in the first leg of the Champions League 2nd qualifying round, Dinamo and Shkupi drew 2:2 at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb on Tuesday.
To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Croatia Braces for Second Heatweave this Summer
ZAGREB, 21 July 2022 - Croatia's Meteorological and Hydrological Service has stated that after a 10-day interlude of not-so-high temperatures, the second heatwave this summer begins in Croatia on Thursday and will run through Sunday.
The maximum daily temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius in some areas.
The DHMZ explains that the ongoing warm front is moving from western Europe to our region and will probably remain along the Adriatic coast next week.
Citizens are urged to follow the advice on how to stay safe during extremely hot temperatures.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
More than 1 Million Tourists in Croatia
ZAGREB, 21 July 2022 - More than one million tourists are currently staying in Croatia, of which about 900,000 are foreigners, and the highest number or 277,000 are staying in Istria County, according to data from the eVisitor system, as carried by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) on Thursday.
HTZ also underscored that the number of one million tourists per day this year was recorded almost a week earlier than last year.
In terms of the number of tourists, Istria is followed by Split-Dalmatia County, where about 188,000 tourists are currently staying, followed by the Kvarner area with about 185,000 and Zadar County with about 167,000 tourists.
According to destination, the most tourists are currently located in Rovinj, Vir, Medulin, Poreč, Umag and Dubrovnik, while foreign tourists for the most part are from Germany and Slovenia.
Tourists are mostly staying in family-run accommodation facilities (434,000), followed by campsites (205,000), hotels (157,000) and nautical charters (24,000).
HTZ said that this confirmed the very good tourist trends in July, with 97% of the tourist turnover from the same period of the record year 2019.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Krapanj Island to Host Eco Heritage Task Force
ZAGREB, 21 July 2022 - The island of Krapanj will host from 24 July to 6 August the Eco Heritage Task Force, a volunteer-based environmental and reconstruction programme of the Croatian Heritage Foundation (HMZ) bringing together youth of Croatian descent for 30 years now.
Participants come from all over the world and most are second or third generation Croatian emigrants, Croatian ethnic minority communities in neighbouring countries and Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This year's host is Krapanj in Šibenik-Knin County. Participants will tidy up the island, including access to the beach for persons with disabilities, an old growth forest, and the seaside waters. The volunteer work is also envisaged to tackle drystone walls.
A variety of workshops and additional activities will be organised for the participants aimed at raising awareness of the natural and cultural heritage and the fishing traditions of this area, including a Croatian language and culture workshop, a media workshop, and excursions across the county, the HMZ said.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
Businesses Urged to Adopt Euro Changeover Ethical Code
ZAGREB, 21 July 2022 - Businesses should adopt the euro changeover code of ethics and in the current circumstances no business should make "profiteering and speculative" moves, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Economy Minister Davor Filipović said on Thursday.
Presiding over the 16th session of the national council for adopting the euro as the official currency, Plenković said this was the first session since the final EU decision on Croatia's accession to the euro area on 1 January 2023.
In the final stage of introducing the euro, all mechanisms should contribute to creating a secure environment for consumers, which means that businesses should accede to the ethical code, he said.
In circumstances of inflationary pressures, he added, no business should make moves that are "profiteering and speculative and that are not in line with the moment and broad social responsibility."
"All actors in society must now show an element of social responsibility," Plenković said, adding that everyone must "understand that we must overcome the crisis together."
Adopting code of ethics as of 16 August
Presenting the code of ethics published last week, Filipović said it should contribute to a secure environment for consumers and to correctly converting and displaying prices, without unduly raising them.
It is intended for all financial and non-financial businesses doing direct business with consumers. Adopting the code is free and voluntary and will be possible via app from 16 August until the end of 2023. Filipović called on all businesses to adopt it.
As of 5 September, when prices must be displayed in both kuna and euro, citizens will be able to commend or complain via app about businesses that have not adopted the code, he said.
Croatia joining the world's most developed countries
Plenković said the accession to the euro area, to coincide with accession to Schengen, meant that Croatia was joining the most developed countries in the world and the EU.
Central bank governor Boris Vujčić said 420 million euro coins would be minted this year and another 230 million in 2023.
He said 350 million euro bills were being procured and that banks, post offices and the Financial Agency would be supplied with bills and coins as of early October, while citizens and businesses would be supplied as of 1 December.
The demanding job of adjusting ATMs will begin in December, Vujčić said. Some will have kuna until the last day of the year, while some will be adjusted so that they can issue euros as of 1 January. As of 15 January, all ATMs should issue euros.
Finance Minister Marko Primorac said 60 laws would have to be aligned in fast track, starting from 25 August.
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