Cromaris: Croatian Fish Farmers Receive Highest Recognition for Quality
As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes on the 5th of June, 2020, Croatian fish farmers are worth their weight in gold, and Cromaris, which operates as part of the Adris Group, has received recognition for the top quality of its products - the Superior Taste Award.
The aforementioned award is the most prestigious award in this food segment in the world, and has been being awarded by the International Taste Institute in Brussels since 2005. Cromaris is the winner of the Superior Taste Award 2020 for all three of its registered products: sea bass, sea bream and meagre.
The products are evaluated by the method of blind testing based on appearance, smell, texture and taste, and the judges selected from the most prestigious European culinary associations are not aware of the brand or origin of the tested product. Cromaris sea bass received a maximum of three gold stars this year for its exceptional taste and became the only product from the fresh fish category to win the Crystal award. For its exceptional taste, both gilthead sea bream and meagre were rated as excellent, meaning that Croatia's very own Cromaris is the only winner of the award for sea bass, gilthead sea bream and meagre among Mediterranean white fish producers.
''Top product quality is our imperative. We offer our consumers only fish with impeccable freshness and a superior nutritional composition and taste, which was recognised by the expert jury this year as well. Today, Cromaris is recognised on the market as a leader in quality, which, along with consumer trust and numerous certificates, is further confirmed by such recognitions,'' said Goran Markulin, CEO of Cromaris.
Cromaris is certified according to ISO standards 9001, 14001, 22000 and IFS Food for quality, environmental management and food safety. It also holds GlobalG.A.P certifications among other things. In addition, Cromaris believes in organic production, which is a growing trend across the world and is in line with the growing health awareness.
Organic sea bass and gilthead sea bream are grown with the application of very strict ecological standards, as evidenced by their certificates for organic production: the European eco-certificate, Bio Siegel, Agriculture Biologique and Naturland. Cromaris is also the holder of the ASC certificate, the most demanding certificate in the industry, which confirms the sustainability of its production, the regulation of environmental impact, social relations in the company and the like.
Today, Cromaris is the fastest growing and most export-oriented company. Cromaris fish is present in all major European markets, and the share of exports accounts for more than 80 percent of sales. The main export market is Italy.
Adris has invested more than a billion kuna in the development of the company since its founding back in 2009, resulting in a strong growth of all business indicators. The company grew an average of 22 percent per year, and sales increased almost tenfold with numerous technological and production innovations.
In 2019, Cromaris achieved sales of 9,557 tonnes of fresh fish, marking a significant increase of eight percent. The total amount of products sold comes to 8,761 tonnes and is seven percent higher than it was last year. Volume sales in export markets increased by seven percent, most of them in the Italian and Austrian markets.
In line with the growth of quantities and prices in 2019, sales revenue increased by eight percent. Revenues from the sale of various products, primarily freshly cleaned and packaged fish, increased by 23 percent. High value-added products currently account for 44 percent of Cromaris' total sales, up five percentage points from the previous year.
Despite the global economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Cromaris notes that they are doing well. In the first quarter of this year, it achieved sales of 1,830 tonnes, which is just three percent less than in the first three months of last year. The majority of its revenues continue to be generated by exports.
Cromaris delivered fish to Italy on a daily basis throughout the coronavirus epidemic, which was very demanding and almost unthinkable for many. It is now working on preparing new projects for new recyclable and sustainable packaging, expanding its range, organic farming and reorganising the processing process to maintain high growth rates.
For more, follow Made in Croatia.
Croatian Property Remains Hit With Foreign Buyers, Could Prices Fall?
When it comes to selling Croatian property to people who hold foreign passports, the record for the country was 2019.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 5th of June, 2020, foreigners love the Croatian capital of Zagreb the most when it comes to buying apartments, but if they want a house, they choose the coast. Still, some locations were more sought after last year than others.
"The first choice were houses in Vir, then those in Vodice and Porec," Ivana Beljan, a spokeswoman for Oglasnik za nekretnine, told Dnevnik.hr
When it comes to Croatian property to people with foreign passports, the record for Croatia was 2019.
''They acquire somewhere around five to seven thousand properties a year. 2019 was the year when we had almost the biggest amount of acquisition, it was somewhere around seven thousand,'' said Dubravko Ranilovic, president of the Real Estate Association at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK). It is rare, he says, for a foreigner to decide to buy real estate in Slavonia, a part of Eastern Croatia which is regularly overlooked on an array of fronts.
Last year, real estate along the Croatian coastline was the subject of interest mostly for Germans and Swiss citizens, but neighbouring Slovenians still own the most real estate on Croatian soil. They are followed by Germans, Austrians, Croatia's other neighbours from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy, and then Slovaks.
The island of Vir has been a hit among foreigners for years, as the latest figures show. In the first four months of this year, as many as 60 building permits were issued for that island, and there are currently 159 open construction sites there.
It's worth mentioning that this island was well known for illegal construction for some time, but from year to year it continues to break the records when it comes to tourist numbers. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, the island of Vir still somehow managed to boast decent tourist numbers.
How the ''curve'' when it comes to foreigners buying Croatian property will look this year also depends on the epidemiological picture. So far, it is known that the coronavirus pandemic has "frozen" the real estate market.
"Sellers don't dare to go out too much or give in to prices, and buyers are waiting for a better opportunity," says Ranilovic.
The first segment in which prices could fall, according to those in the profession, could be apartments. "Because the assumption is that property owners who are still hoping for some income from tourism will be left without that income and will be forced to get rid of real estate and thus get rid of their credit debts," explained real estate agent Julijo Klarin.
As much as 62 percent of tourist accommodation in the Republic of Croatia consists of beds in apartments. Many of them are still very much empty.
For more on Croatian property, follow our lifestyle section.
Works Begin on Gradina, Solin's Beloved Medieval Fortress and Summer Stage
June 6, 2020 - Good news for everyone that attends the Solin Cultural Summer programs, as work has finally begun on Gradina, a medieval fortress and favorite summer stage in the city.
Slobodna Dalmacija reports that workers are currently removing the old auditorium and stage, which largely rests on the archeological site of the old Croatian church located inside Gradina.
"Because of that, the works are being carried out very carefully and at a somewhat slower pace, so as not to damage the site. Everything takes place under the supervision of the Archaeological Museum and the Conservation Department in Split," said Tonći Ćićerić, director of the Public Institution of Culture "Zvonimir".
In the next phase, the existing wooden benches and iron structures will be removed.
"After that, archaeologists will probe the terrain, or they will conduct excavations in the auditorium and the church in order to open the space for research, since dismantling the stage and new stands for the audience are planned on the site of the current auditorium. About 750 seats, numbered seats are planned in Gradina, which has not been the case so far," says Ćićerić and adds that the stage will be moved along the east wall, closest to Ribnjak, due to the presentation of the church.
The audience will look east, towards Mosor.
"The planned deadline for the execution of works with complete equipment is eight months, but the works will take place in phases, given the specifics of the project. Since it is a cultural and historical monument, there is a lot that we do not know what awaits us when the probes are excavated. Only when the archeological works are completed can we predict the real dynamics," the director points out.
As part of the rehabilitation of Gradina, the conservation of all walls is planned, with a lot of reconstruction work on the east and north walls as they are in the worst condition, while the west and south walls were already treated in the 60s. The project also envisages the construction of a bypass road or a wooden path around the entire site, from the inside, and the existing three towers will be arranged.
Completely new electrical installations are being introduced, and video surveillance will be installed.
"This project is extremely important for Solin, it is the center of the city's cultural events and we are all sentimentally connected to Gradina. Despite the limited funds of the City in this situation due to the coronavirus, the project goes further, and European funds in the amount of 7.2 million kuna have been provided for it," points out Mayor Dalibor Ninčević.
Simultaneously with the Gradina rehabilitation project, the removal of the existing barracks in the city center near the Post Office began, where associations, political parties, and the kindergarten administration were located. This is a project related to the construction of the Cultural Information Center.
"The tender for the demolition of the barracks has been completed, the works have begun, and this is a prerequisite for archaeological research of the terrain, and ultimately for the realization of the project," confirms Nincevic on the realization of this facility, which will, among other things, have a hall with 250 seats, an exhibition multipurpose hall, changing rooms for performers and the audience, office space, a souvenir shop and an information point.
"This year's 25th Solin Cultural Summer was designed to be a little more impressive and exclusive, however, due to the coronavirus situation, prolonging the start of work on Gradina, budget savings, as well as new epidemiological frameworks for performances, we will have to tighten the program a bit. The programs will be held with fewer viewers, but in terms of quality, we will keep the current level in terms of guest names.
Since we do not have Gradina at our disposal, we will adapt to the available scenes to which our audience is already accustomed. In the hope that we will get out of this situation as soon as possible and return to our budget, we will organize what we planned for the jubilee summer next year as the grand opening of the 26th Solin Cultural Summer, when Gradina will shine in all of its glory," concludes the mayor.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
VIDEO: Vranjaca Cave Reopens to Public
June 6, 2020 - Good news for Inland Dalmatia - Vranjaca Cave is open again!
A gem of the Dalmatian hinterland since it first opened to the public in 1929, the Vranjaca Cave has officially reopened for all tourists, caving enthusiasts, and nature lovers to see.
Just 30 minutes from Split and only 10 minutes away from Dugopolje by car, the easily accessible Vranjaca Cave is situated in the heart of Inland Dalmatia, in the village of Kotlenice.
The cave is located at the foot of the central part of the Mosor mountain, on its north-facing slope, and consists of two parts. The entrance has been known to locals since ancient times, while the other part was discovered in 1903 by Stipe Punda, the owner of the land where the cave is located.
A small natural passage leads from the entrance chamber to a chamber composed of 9 smaller parts full of cave decorations in all shapes, sizes and colors. A specific feature of the cave is that its interior maintains a constant year-round temperature of about 15⁰C. Full of stalactites and stalagmites, pillars and arcades, Vranjaca is a true pearl of the karst landscape that was declared a protected geomorphological natural monument in 1963.
Check out a video of Vranjaca Cave by the Dugopolje Tourist Board below:
Today, the Punda family from Kotlenice manages the organization of visits to the Vranjaca cave and is responsible for all maintenance.
If you're interested in exploring this masterpiece of nature, contact Marko Punda at +385 (0)98 749 000. Ticket Prices for adults are HRK 50.00, and children HRK 25.00. Vranjaca Cave is open throughout the year, from 9 am to 7 pm, and the last tour enters the cave one hour before the end of the opening hours!
To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Croatian First League Returns with Hajduk v. Inter Zapresic at Poljud
June 5, 2020 - After a nearly three-month break due to COVID-19, the Croatian Football League returned on Friday for the 27th round match between Hajduk and Inter Zapresic at Poljud. TCN was there.
While the football season in Croatia continued with the semifinals of the Croatian Cup last weekend, football fans in Croatia could hardly wait for the return of the Croatian Championship. The last game of the Croatian First League was played on March 9, when Lokomotiva celebrated in Gorica 3:1.
Exactly 88 days later, Hajduk was hungry for points to ensure second place and the Champions League qualifiers against the second-to-last place Inter, a club fighting to stay alive. Hajduk had celebrated in seven consecutive games against Zapresic in Split before tonight.
TCN reported live from a much quieter Poljud on Friday, as only journalists and a select few others were invited to witness the return of Hajduk outside of club members. Temperatures were checked upon entering the stadium, and no dilly-dallying was allowed - you were meant to go straight to your seat once inside.
The pre-game protocol was also a bit different for players, who were not allowed to line-up or touch hands before kick-off.
While the raging jugo wind and quiet stands didn't help either side on Friday, Hajduk dominated most of the first half - and Torcida even found a way to cheer outside of the stadium in the 25th minute - with fireworks!
Unfortunately, Torcida's display couldn't help much - Inter's Mamut scored from a free-kick in the 37th minute for 0:1, which was how the first half ended.
The ref consulted VAR in the 56th minute which saw a Hajduk penalty and a red card for Inter's Soldo. Caktas missed, though was given a second chance after the ref called that the keeper was off his line. Caktas scored this time for 1:1.
Hajduk spent the remainder of the match in Inter's half, missing key chances for 2:1. And then it happened in the 7th minute of added time - Dimitrov scored for 2:1, which was the final score of the game.
Slaven Belupo and Gorica will play on Saturday at 7 pm, and Varaždin and Dinamo at 9 pm, while the matches between Istra 1961 - Rijeka and Lokomotiva - Osijek will end the round on Sunday.
The Championship continues without spectators, but since the epidemiological situation in Croatia is good, the return of fans to the stadiums can be expected.
You can see the full HNL table HERE.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Restart Coalition: State Has To Adapt To Needs Of Citizens And Entrepreneurs
ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - Leader of the Restart coalition and of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Davor Bernardic said on Friday that the state has to adapt to citizens and entrepreneurs and to save their time and money, improve the quality of life for citizens and the economy's competitiveness.
"Citizens need to be offered a palette of services that will make state and public administration more accessible, save time and money and improve the quality of life and provide enterprises with a series of tools that will boost their competitiveness, automate them and relieve administrative burdens while ensuring the digital transformation of state and public administration aimed at improving efficiency and accessibility for citizens," he said presenting the coalition's digital transformation plank.
Tool against corruption
Digital transformation is one of the basic tools against corruption. All of the state's spending has to be publicly accessible in the one place, he said. The public should know who uses official vehicles and for what, who receives agricultural subsidies and all public procurement has to be visible, he added.
Digitisation of public administration could increase public sector efficiency by 52% by 2030, Mihael Zmajlovic said.
The ICT sector accounts for 5% of GDP and it is estimated that that share can be doubled particularly since the EU has allocated €2 billion for that sector's development, he added.
PM Says Is Opposed To Wire Fence On Croatia-Bosnia Border
ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday in Mostar, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, that he is opposed to a wire fence on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina after the migrant crisis has once again escalated.
Over the past few weeks, the number of migrants coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased once again, and they are trying to reach European Union members passing through Croatia. Bosnia and Herzegovina's Security Minister Fahrudin Radoncic resigned earlier this week due to a difference in opinion in the ruling coalition with regard to resolving the migrant problem.
Plenkovic, who today met with the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union's sister party in Bosnia and Herzegovina - HDZ BiH, Dragan Covic, said that the solution cannot lie in building physical obstacles on the border.
"I am opposed to erecting wire fences between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are two neighboring countries directed to each other and a message like that would not be good," underscored Plenkovic.
He believes that it is key to resolve the migrant crisis on the Greece-Turkey border.
Strengthening the status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Plenkovic underscored the need to strengthen the status of Croats in that Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"We will do everything so that the status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not weakened, just the opposite, that it is strengthened. We are constantly working on that and I think that we have more than clearly communicated the topic of the equality of Croats at all levels of the Council of the EU and the European Commission," he told a press conference held together with Covic.
The Croatian premier added that the most important thing for Bosnia and Herzegovina is that it advances to EU membership and the equality of the three peoples there is a precondition to reach important agreements in the country.
Croatia supports Bosnia's aspirations for EU membership and for its integration to NATO which is important for the country's stability.
Franak Association Reports Croatia To EC For Breach Of Treaty With EU
ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - The Franak Association reported Croatia to the European Commission, for the breach of the treaty with the European Union, the association said on Friday, claiming that the Supreme Court's multiple arbitrary actions during the so-called model proceedings amounted to the breach.
Calling for the action to be taken against Croatia at the EU Court, the Association made accusations against the Supreme Court noting that there were no grounds for initiating the model proceedings and that a series of misinterpretations and wrong conclusions were presented during the proceedings about consumer protection on the basis of the EU legislature.
"The report contains a short presentation of the history of court rulings in the Swiss francs loan conversion case, and a description of the Swiss francs conversion into euros based on the amendments to the law on customer credit. On the basis of all those facts, an explanation was given for what the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia had done incorrectly in the model proceedings ruling which declared the conversion agreements valid," stated the head of the Franak Association's office, Sandra Ziga, at a news conference in Zagreb today.
Coronavirus, Earthquakes and Beethoven - Zagreb I Love You So
June the 5th, 2020 - As we wrote on June the 1st, 2020, the initiative Zagreb, I love you so (Zagreb, take imam te rad) enacted and organised by the Unimedia Agency from Zagreb, opened with a panel discussion aimed to raise awareness about the necessity of a thorough restoration of the many historic venues damaged by the catastrophic earthquake in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic back in March.
If you missed it, you can find more details here.
As announced by the organiser, the second part of the action, and quite a special one indeed, is going to take place in the atrium of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences (HAZU) on Sunday the 7th of June, 2020, at 20:00. It will be worth every little bit of attention and is going to be streamed on the platform of Vecernji.hr and on this YouTube channel. Make sure not to miss it, here's why:
Ludwig van Beethoven was born exactly 250 years ago. The world was preparing to celebrate one the of the most brilliant authors of all times, but then… the coronavirus pandemic sneaked in. And an earthquake shook Zagreb in the midst of it. Worldwide, events and concerts in the honour of the great master had to be cancelled.
The Zagreb Soloists wanted to give their share in the anniversary and adapted to the situation in a unique way. Sreten Krstic, their concert master, composer and teacher of music, was essentially inspired by the limits imposed by the pandemic and, for the first time known to us, re-orchestrated one of Beethoven’s most admired oeuvres and adapted it to the formation of a chamber orchestra. That is the version we're going to hear on Saturday evening.
The first four notes, the famous ‘ta-ta-ta-taaa’ opening Beethoven’s Symphony no.5 have entered the ear of most every human on Earth. When we listen to this glorious mainstay of classical music, we enjoy the harmonies, the rhythm, the dynamics and those often surprising specific musical colours of his characteristic orchestration, imagining what we feel or what we want as music has no boundaries.
As lovers of classical music, we seldom think of what inspired the author, of what is his real message and a real content of the particular piece. Here are some hints to help us be more aware of what Beethoven had in mind, and, especially and separately, why his Fifth Symphony is so adequate for this particular evening, as it is special and important in more ways than one.
Another thing everybody knows is that Beethoven started losing his hearing in his early years and that he ended his life totally deaf (although some evidence suggests that he could hear low tones and sudden loud sounds to his last day). What a setback for a musician!
In 1802, on the advice of his doctor, he moved to the small Austrian town of Heiligenstadt. In his letters to his brothers, he often mentioned his growing deafness and suicidal thoughts, but also his resolution to continue living for and through his art, how he had to ''seize fate by the throat, it shall certainly not crush me completely''.
This can be taken as the message of this Symphony to all : do not kneel, fight fate. And to coronavirus and the earthquakes we say: You can't crush us completely!
Make sure you dedicate less than one hour of your time on Sunday evening to this message that eventually will also be spread to the world through a delayed broadcast of Croatian National TV (HRT) and the US based cable TV and communications platform Comcast. Zagreb is greeting the world through the Zagreb Soloists, its honoured and honourable ambassadors!
Plug in, enjoy and be proud. For we will never be crushed!
For more on coronavirus, follow our dedicated section.
SDP Accuses Government of Downplaying Fascism
ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Davor Bernardic said on Friday that the court ruling allowing the use of the Ustasha salute "For the Homeland Ready" in a song was scandalous, adding that this was the result of fascism being downplayed the current government.
"The ruling by the High Misdemeanour Court that Marko Perkovic Thompson may use the salute For the Homeland Ready (in his song) is scandalous. Imagine a German court allowing the use of the salute Sieg Heil or Heil Hitler! in Germany," Bernardic said at a press conference while commenting on the court ruling.
He said that the ruling was the result of four years of failure to deal with this problem and of fascism being downplayed by this government which legalized the salute For the Homeland Ready through the commission dealing with the consequences of the rule of undemocratic regimes.
He stressed that Croatia was united in the 1991-1995 Homeland War and that no one had the right to cast a stain on it by using the fascist symbols of the Ustasha regime that was defeated in the Second World War.
Milanovic: Court ruling is odd
During his visit to Sisak on Thursday, President Zoran Milanovic was asked by reporters to comment on the court ruling. He said he had not seen it, but that it seemed odd to him.
"The matter should have been dealt with more clearly by the criminal code, but no one, of course, should go to prison for that, and I will have no influence on it. It should be an indictable offense punishable by a suspended sentence or a caution. In this way, we only put judges in silly situations and it puts a great burden on them," Milanovic said, adding that the police would not know what to do either.
He said that Article 5 of the Public Order Act was vague and should be changed.
