August the 27th, 2022 - Komiza on the beautiful Dalmatian island of Vis is set to get a brand new five star hotel complex as part of a large 52 million euro investment.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the entry of Marriott's lifestyle brand Autograph into Hotel Bisevo has now been officially signed off. As was announced by the company Modra spilja on the Zagreb Stock Exchange on Thursday, the members of the company's management, following the approval of the general assembly and the supervisory board, have now signed the License Agreement for the Autograph Collection hotel brand, under which the Hotel Bisevo in Komiza on the island of Vis will operate.

As was previously written about, this is part of a huge investment totalling 52 million euros in the construction of a new exclusive hotel in Komiza, in which the company Modra spilja is entering with the majority shareholder, PBZ Croatia osiguranje (insurance) pension funds.

In place of the bulky concrete building of the current two-star Hotel Bisevo, Komiza will be richer for a five-star hotel in the year 2025, which will fully fit into the natural environment provided by Vis, and view of the town, as well as a new promenade by the sea.

The 3LHD architectural studio, the Bruketa&Zinic&Grey agency and the Hotel&Destination Consulting consulting company were all engaged in the realisation of this project alongside the investor.

The Autograph Collection brand otherwise belongs to what is known as the "premium distinctive" group of Marriott hotels, which lies somewhere in the middle between luxury and select hotels, and in terms of content and style, these are unique hotels that emphasise the local culture and history of the locations in which they're constructed, as opposed to dominating the destination and overriding the history of the place.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

May the 28th, 2022 - The residents of Komiza have finally been invited to the public presentation of the new and rather controversial Bisevo hotel, which has attracted reactions across the spectrum from locals.

As Morski writes, a series of controversies has been connected with the project of building a new hotel in Komiza, which resulted a real wave of dissatisfaction among locals, but also from regular guests of this picturesque fishing village on the gorgeous island of Vis.

What exactly is planned to be built, as well as all of the details, should finally be revealed at the public presentation of the project which will take place on Sunday, at 10:00 in the "Boris Mardesić" gallery in Komiza.

The public has been struggling to come across any real details surrounding the Bisevo hotel project, which caused a real storm among the people of the west side of the island of Vis. The initial plan was to build a hotel with 700 beds, which caused justified fears that the communal and traffic infrastructure of this small town with a little more than a thousand inhabitants, wouldn't be able to cope with it.

Then new information came out that the President of the City Council, Edo Bogdanovic, was also the director of Modra spilja d.d., ie a representative of an investor who intends to invest in the new hotel, which has raised the issue of conflict of interest. He said in several media appearances that he didn't see anything controversial in what he was doing.

Then, the investor of the new hotel sued the representative of the civil initiative (SVEZAK) for posting on Facebook regarding the construction of the new Bisevo hotel, so another local group sued Mayor Tonka Maroevic and City Council President Edo Bogdanovic.

After that, the local political party MOVI SE - Nezavisna lista/Independent list Komiza announced that the investor had given up his intention to build a hotel with 700 beds and that he had lowered that number down to 450. 

Then the story began to circulate in the public that Bogdanovic gave the founder of the Independent List MOVI SE attractive space on the waterfront for a restaurant in order to stop his name being withdrawn from the media, which was denied. All in all, there has been a lot of back and forth surrounding the mysterious Bisevo hotel's construction.

In any case, Komiza's locals are eagerly awaiting much more detailed information about the project that awakened many dormant resident spirits, but also raised a number of questions to which the general public has not yet received any clear answers.

For more, check out our business section.

April 6, 2022 - Meet NK Vis, a football club and school fighting for the island's youth, allowing no distance to deprive its children of playing the sport. 

Football is played around the world thanks to its simplicity -  even in the most isolated places. Because Croatia is a small country, almost no one thinks of really isolated places, but if you sit on the ferry from Split to Vis, you'll need to kill two hundred minutes of sailing to one of the most beautiful Adriatic islands. When Brač and Hvar are behind you, in the distance rises Vis, surrounded by sea-strewn cliffs, and right there on the high seas, there is a small club of the same name that has been resisting its geographical integrity for decades, writes Aldo Franičević for RTL.hr.

Football on the island has a long tradition, and NK Vis celebrated its first days back in 1935, but Vis had to replace the football with rifles due to World War II. At the end of the great war, NK Naprijed Vis was launched, which existed for three and a half decades. Interestingly, HNK Hajduk even played a friendly match against the Vis club.

Unfortunately, its isolation and lack of money left Vis without a football club in 1979, leaving only the summer indoor league on the island. Soon the island was left without a football field. In those years, it seemed like football had lost the battle with distance after decades, but in 2006 a miracle happened.

At the end of 2006, Marinko Ivanišević-Mane, with a handful of football enthusiasts, started a children's football school on Vis and registered the Vis football club, thus renewing the continuity of the Vis football school after a 30-year hiatus. A few years later, Vis inhabitants first got a smaller football field, and in 2013, a large grass field was built with the help of the City. 

The following year, they registered a senior team that competed in the 2nd County League for several seasons. Unfortunately, the senior team was short-lived, but the football school has survived and is stronger than ever under its young and ambitious leader Mario Potočnjak.

Potočnjak spoke about the success of the Vis football school but also revealed the many problems young footballers encounter living on the island.

"Before I came to the club, several coaches changed. In the beginning, there was enthusiasm, and then there was a senior team, but as time went on, interest and opportunities decreased as far as the senior team was concerned. They competed for a while, but they stopped before I came. After that, they played in the county league, but now they don't play anymore. However, the football school is still alive, and I can say that it has grown nicely," said Mario Potočnjak, a 28-year-old coach from Pag who has been leading the development of the sport on Vis for five years.

Although the senior team shut down some time ago, the football school is growing and thriving thanks to the efforts of coaches and the encouragement and support of the local community.

"This year, we have 70-80 students. Of course, that number varies, especially in the winter. We also work with preschoolers, which are children aged 5-6. We currently have four categories - 10-12 preschoolers, some boys, some girls, about 15 younger beginners made up of first graders, there are about twenty beginners and a group of younger pioneers competing this year in the 3rd County League, and there are just over 20 of them. These are mostly children from Vis and Komiža, with a few children from the surrounding areas. It should be said that these 80 boys and girls are quite a number considering the total number of children in the island's primary schools," says Potočnjak, adding that clubs on the islands face problems that they can hardly imagine on the mainland.

The biggest problem is the poor connection with the mainland and other islands, which is always a full-day trip, even when traveling to nearby Hvar or Brač.

"The worst thing is that when we play on land, we have to take the ferry at 5:30 in the morning from Vis, which means the kids have to wake up around 4 am. This is especially problematic in the winter, and it is in the winter that we cannot rely on a catamaran that should leave at 7 am from Vis because you never know what the weather will be like and whether it will run. The trip by ferry to Split lasts for over two hours, and the matches are played at 9 am. This is a big problem when it comes to performance on the pitch, but the worst thing is that it is very hard for children and takes a long time," reveals the head of NK Vis. 

"It's still good when we play in Split because when we play in other places, it is even more problematic. For example, against clubs from Hvar, Brač. We are fighting a battle with the Federation and trying to explain to them that in this league of young pioneers, in which there are only seven clubs, we have the biggest problem when we go from island to island. Of the seven clubs, two are from Brač, Jelsa from Hvar, and we are from Vis. Those from the Federation think we are close to the islands, so it is easy. It is easier for us to go to Sinj or Imotski than from Vis to Brač and Hvar in winter," says Potočnjak and immediately explains. 

"When the weather is bad in winter, we would have to go from Vis to Split and then again an hour and a half back to Stari Grad on Hvar, arrange transportation to Jelsa and then repeat it all on the way back for an hour-long game. So when we have those games in the winter calendar, we somehow agree to move it to spring and then organize a speedboat or transport. In the end, it turns out ok, but it requires a lot of organization and money," Potočnjak added and gave an example from the 14-hour visit to NK Postira Sardi on Brač. 

"They couldn't play that game on Saturday because other categories were playing for them then, and we decided not to forfeit and change it for a later date. So on Sunday, we leave Vis a little later, around 7:30. But the problem is with the return. The first boat to Vis that we can get is only at 7 pm. We were in Split by 3 pm, but we could only go home four hours later. We came to Vis around 9:30 pm. In other words, we spent about 15 hours going from Vis to Brač just to play an hour-long game, and the children go to school on Monday. That's a huge amount of energy spent that way," Potočnjak adds. 

But as he says, giving up is not an option, and everyone is looking at how to make this positive. What saddens him is that his teams often fail to show their best performance when playing away, considering that they are exhausted even before they put on their jerseys and run on the pitch. 

"I noticed a big difference in the quality of performance. We have a small base, and the difference is felt when you play against clubs from Split, but regardless of when they come to visit us, the game will be at 2 pm because they come by ferry from Split at 11 am. The visiting teams on Vis don't have that problem. There is a big difference in the energy of our children when we play at home and away, so the result suffers a little, but in principle, the result is not primary," Potočnjak said.

He is happy that the local community is actively involved in the club. Namely, a lot is being invested in sports and youth in the City of Vis, and even apartments for young families are being built, which suggests that the club could soon get more new players.

"NK Vis is almost exclusively financed by the City of Vis, and this is where we encounter small disagreements because many of the boys and girls in the club are from Komiža. Unlike the City of Vis, they have not had an understanding for years, and we have little help from them. This year, they helped organize transportation for children from Komiža, but now new problems have arisen. In addition, we have income from membership fees that amount to a symbolic one hundred kuna per month," reveals Potočnjak and uses the opportunity to highlight the benefits the entire island has from the club. 

"The club's contribution to the community is great because, unfortunately, there is no other sports organization on the island in which children can join. There have been some attempts at basketball and the like, but it has not come to life. There is bowling and bocce in Komiža, but without belittling anyone and any sport, it cannot be compared to football. Practically, this is the only thing we have to offer children from systematic activities," claims Potočnjak.

So, what ambitions do the club and the city have in the future? 

"There's no plan to re-establish the senior team at the moment. Some guys are more ambitious and would play, but it dies quickly, and the costs and fines are enormous. If the boys don't get together or can't go to the game, the Federation issues fines, and debts are still dragging on from when the senior team existed, so it is better to focus all energy and strength on youth," concluded Mario Potočnjak.

He added that they are all focused on the 14th tournament for Vis City Day, which takes place on April 23 with several football teams.

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

March 14th, 2022 - Komiža residents are worried whether the public infrastructure of their town, which covers an area of 48 square kilometres and has a population of 1,500, will be able to withstand the increase in road traffic expected after the new hotel opens for business

Residents of Komiža, a coastal town on Vis island, have been voicing their concerns lately in regards to the announced construction of a new hotel, reportedly twice as big as what the public infrastructure in this little town could withstand.

The first public presentation of the new Hotel Biševo was scheduled for today, but only city councillors and members of the Department of Urbanism and Physical Planning were invited to attend. The residents of Komiža, in turn, haven’t been invited, and they’re rightfully worried that the new hotel with 700 beds is going to put too much pressure on their little town, reports Morski.hr.

The old Hotel Biševo was a two-star facility with 300 beds. A new luxury hotel with double the capacity will be built in its place, further increasing the number of guests in the already popular destination.

The investor was the one who decided that the residents shouldn’t attend the presentation, as stated in the invitation. The hotel is owned by PBZ Croatia Osiguranje, a compulsory pension fund. It’s also known that the project involves the company Modra Špilja d.d. from Komiža, architecture studio 3LHD from Zagreb and the company Urbos d.o.o from Split, with the latter known to deal in physical planning.

Komiža residents have reason to wonder whether the public infrastructure of their town, which covers an area of 48 square kilometres and has a permanent population of 1,500, will be able to withstand the increase in road traffic expected after the hotel is put into operation. The citizens are not against the hotel, but they’re calling for a facility of appropriate size and capacity for a place like Komiža.

Concerned councillors and citizens have addressed the competent ministries on several occasions, most often in regards to the legality of the process and the decision not to involve the citizens in the process of modification of zoning plans, but have not yet received proper answers.

‘The public will be involved once a public consultation is announced’, stated Komiža Mayor Tonka Ivčević in a short reply to the latest inquiry from Morski. Although it’s been nearly a month since they’ve sent her a detailed query regarding the project, the mayor has only replied with the above statement this morning, after they pointed out that ignoring reporters won’t help her turn the public’s attention away from the matter.

Mayor Ivčević has reiterated that ‘the interest of Komiža locals is her top priority’ and that ‘she would never allow for anyone to disrupt the development of Komiža for the benefit of its residents in any way’.

Many guests and returnees are worried for the future of Komiža, as they’ve chosen to live or stay in this town exactly because it’s quiet, peaceful and pleasant to reside in. The question is, how long is it going to remain that way?

ZAGREB, 23 Jan 2022 - The Palagruža association, based in the town of Komiža on the island of Vis, preserves and promotes the maritime heritage of the local community which includes making replicas of historical boats. The association has completed the building of models "Sandula" and "Ofalkono Gajeta" and is now in search of partners to build "Leut" and "Loja" replicas.

The association is also active in collecting and preserving traditional tools and promoting local crafts, artisanal products, and cuisine.

The head of the association, Miro Cvitković, recently told Hina that in the beginning, members made replicas of more simple traditional boats such as the "Gundula". Upon completion, this was followed by building replicas of "Sandula" and "Ofalkono Gajeta-učilo" vessels.

The association takes part in many festivals and events abroad to promote Croatia's maritime heritage.

For instance, its members attended the European maritime festival in the Gulf of Morbihan, France, to promote the "Sandula" vessel. On this occasion, they also managed to establish cooperation with the French town of Rochefort-sur-Loire.

"Sandula" is a "work boat" which was used for everyday fishing activities and short voyages along the local coast.

"Loja" is a boat used in fishing for oily fish, or for communication between bigger vessels during fishing activities.

Cvitković has said that currently the association is trying to find partners for its project to build replicas of "Leut" and "Loja" vessels.

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 28, 2021 – A Falkuša gajeta from Komiža on Vis island and a Betina gajeta from Murter are shown in a competition-winning Croatian photograph which will now become an official European Union postcard

If you're reading this, chances are you already know Croatia is very often 'postcard-pretty.' Well, it seems you're not the only one to think so.

One Croatian photographer's work has won over judges in a competition to find an official European Union postcard. The photograph (main picture), taken by Hina journalist Andrina Luić shows two sailing boats – a Falkuša gajeta and a Betina gajeta. Both are traditional wooden ships commonly seen in Croatian waters. In the background, the Betina gajeta is instantly recognizable as Croatian because its sail carries a red and white checkerboard pattern.

European Union postcard competition

© Dani u Vali

The 'Greetings from the Islands' photo competition was published in September by the European Commission's Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat (here). Andrina, who is from Lukoran on Ugljan island, took her winning photo two years ago in Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. The sailboats were snapped during the festival of ships, sea and sailors 'Days in Vala' (here). The event is organized by Cronaves of Split, of which Andrina is a member. They are a society with an aim to promote Croatian maritime heritage.

Andrina's photograph will now help promote Croatian maritime heritage all across the continent. Thousands will see the traditional wooden ships and their sails when the image is made into an official European Union postcard. The picture triumphed above other island photo entries from Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal and elsewhere in Croatia. The evaluation criteria were originality, creativity, overall artistic impression and composition, and visual appeal. Each competitor was only allowed to enter one photo into the competition. It would seem that Andrina - who has been taking photographs for many years - made exactly the right choice.

Falkuša gajeta from Komiža on Vis island and Betina gajeta from island Murter

Traditional gajeta ships from Betina in a regatta around island Murter © Neven Jović

A Falkuša gajeta is a thinner and faster version of the Murter-style gajeta. Falkuša boats have been used for fishing in the area of islands Vis and Korčula since at least the 16th century. They were adapted to the needs of fishermen from Komiža on Vis island, who would regularly travel far out into the open sea - as far west as the Palagruža archipelago - to chase their catch.

The template of these boat designs was taken to Betina on Murter island by Korčula shipbuilder Paško Filippi in the first half of the 18th century. There he founded a shipyard and began building his boats, adapting them to the slightly different climate and the very different needs of the locals.

The people of Murter and its surroundings needed a boat as much for transportation of goods as they did for fishing. Therefore, the Betina gajeta was made stronger, wider, bigger and more load-bearing, with a deck at the bow and stern. They were commonly used to transport goods between Murter and estates on the Kornati islands.

You can today visit an award-winning museum (here) dedicated to the history of this wooden boat building in Betina, island Murter. Or, if you can't make it there any time soon, you can now make do with one of Andrina's postcards until you can.

August 23, 2021 - The Biševo Blue Cave boom was anything but expected this summer, with skippers refusing over 15 inquiries from guests per day!

Tourists on Hvar have gone crazy for the Blue Cave, which has been experiencing a tourist boom in recent weeks. And when they find out that everything is reserved that day or even a few days in advance, they do not hesitate to throw an immoral amount of money at skippers in the hope they'll be able to experience this natural wonder, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

Unfortunately, reservation lists on all excursion speedboats are full days, and some even weeks, in advance.

"And what can I tell you? It is not craziness but madness. Everyone wants to see the cave. Some booked a spot a few weeks before their arrival. They prepared better. There are no boats, no spots; there are so many reservations that you have to wait for days to go. Nobody expected this kind of madness, this surpassed everything, this is more than anything," says Antonija Maljković, a skipper from Hvar who has taken guests for years to tour Komiža, Biševo, and the Blue Cave.

She says that people know how to beg and admits that they offer generous amounts of money to find a seat on the boat - but the law is clear. There can be exactly 12 guests and two crew members in the speedboat, which is why she has to leave many behind on the shore. This summer, everything is up and running at full speed. 

"I have to refuse ten, 15, or more inquiries a day. It's not just like that with me. And you know how many of them came to Hvar and did not manage to board? There is also madness in front of Biševo; already around 8 am, 9 am, the invasion of fast boats from Split, Omiš, Trogir, Makarska, Hvar, Bol, Vis, and Komiža begins. And where are the sailors? Everyone is heading south; everyone is running to find a place in line to not wait for hours. And it is known that at the entrance, considering how many people there are, they wait for four or more hours," Antonija added.

Guests come from all over Europe, and there are many French, British, American, and English tourists. Crowds die down only in the afternoon, after 4 pm. 

"To see that morning scene on the high seas. The speedboats are just rushing there. It's like watching an invasion in which everyone would like to come first," Antonija said, remembering just how poor the season was last year. 

Great interest in visiting the Blue Cave is confirmed by the Nautical Center Komiža, an authorized concessionaire for receiving visitors and conducting visits to the protected natural monument, the Blue Cave in Mezoporat Bay on Biševo Island. Visitors must board one of the boats operated by the center's experienced sailors to enter the cave.

"This year, we are really recording great interest of visitors compared to last year's pandemic year. By July 31 this year, we had achieved 58.45 percent compared to the record tourist year in 2019 and 136 percent compared to last year. Given the overall situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, our expectations of interest and attendance at the Blue Cave for this year were 30 percent higher than the results achieved in 2020. Therefore, we believe that the effects of attendance in July and August are a pleasant surprise for all entities related to tourism activities along the Adriatic," concludes Brigita Fiamengo, director of the Nautical Center Komiža.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

August the 15th, 2021 - Swimmers close to Komiza should keep their eyes peeled when enjoying the beautiful Croatian Adriatic after the potentially dangerous Devil's Firefish or Lionfish (Pterois miles) was filmed swimming in that area for the very first time.

As Morski writes, a few articles have already been written about the appearance of new, venomous and potentially highly dangerous fish in the Croatian Adriatic. The Devil's Firefish (Pterois miles) has been seen several times in the waters of neighbouring Italy, and experts rightly expected that this species would spread very quickly to the Eastern, Croatian part of the Adriatic. Now it has become official, because the dangerous fish was filmed for the first time swimming near the Komiza seabed by an underwater photographer and diver, Damir Zurub.

''Today I had a close encounter with the invasive Devil's Firefish (Pterois miles) for the first time, but not somewhere where it's common to come across it. To be more precise, I took several photos of this fish in the Adriatic while diving with DC Manta near Cape Stupiste, near the coast of Komiza on the island of Vis - these are the first shots and probably the first recorded encounter with this invasive fish species in the Adriatic sea,'' announced Damir Zurub, confirming that the fish was filmed at a depth of just fifteen metres, where he also recorded an incredibly high sea temperature of 24 °C.

The editor of the Podvodni.hr (Underwater.hr) portal, marine life expert Pero Ugarkovic, also commented on the finding:

''Three months ago, I learned that an individual from Italy was preparing to publish a paper declaring this fish a resident of the Adriatic. These were several finds near Otranto. I published this on the portal and announced that we might expect to see this fish in Croatian waters this year. Today, that happened, the first official find was discovered and photographed by Damir on Vis.

The fish is Pterois miles, people sometimes call it the Lionfish or the Devil's Firefish. It will be constantly mentioned in the media because it is an invasive species that also has a poisonous sting, it will be said that it is a pest and that it is dangerous. There will probably be more and more of them, we'll see them in the underwater picture galleries. Everyone will know about them, even those who have never even seen the Adriatic. Once the population is established as in Greece, catching them will be celebrated and encouraged, some modest means will be invested in its suppression. They will be sold at the fish markets, and chefs will come up with recipes.

But in the end, we will have to accept this fish as a common occurrence here, as everything changes. For centuries, we've been trying to intensively and indiscriminately catch everything from the sea, fill it up, build it up and pollute it. Each new generation remembers a different, more primordial Adriatic of their youth that will never return. For some future generation, the Devil's Firefish may even become a symbol of Dalmatia,'' concluded Ugarkovic when discussing the presence of this fish near Komiza.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 15 February, 2021 - Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković on Monday presented the director of the Split Port Authority, Vice Mihanović, with a decision to build a fishing port, worth €5 million, in Komiža on the southern island of Vis.

€5 million is the maximum possible support that can be granted for fishing infrastructure through the EU's Maritime and Fisheries operational programme, Vučković said. This is very important because Croatian fishing infrastructure has not been modernised for decades, she added.

"This port is one of the preconditions for fast delivery of high-quality and fresh Croatian fish," the minister said, adding that the project would "prevent a conflict between tourism and fishing" and address the needs of the local population.

Responding to questions from the press, Vučković said that fish processing in Croatia was on the rise.

"Investment in aquaculture and fish processing through the Maritime and Fisheries operational programme is increasing, and there has been a considerable rise in exports of basic aquaculture products as well as processed products, so that this is becoming an important export industry, which is recognised by the Aquaculture Act," the minister said.

Mihanović said that Komiža was the cradle of the Croatian fishing industry and that the €5 million was intended for the first phase of construction of the fishing port. "That is the most important phase because it covers the construction of breakwaters and operational space, which will be enough for fishing boats to berth," he said.

Komiža mayor Tonka Ivčević said that the construction of the fishing port would be of great importance to local fishermen. "We have over 60 small fishing businesses, and young people are also showing a growing interest in fisheries," the mayor said.

For more about Komiza, the island of Vis and the rest of the Dalmatian coast, check out the dedicated TCN travel section here.

As Morski writes on the 19th of October, 2020, after two days, the ecological action Think Green on the island of Vis in the town of Komiza came to an end. The Komiza Think Green action was in actual fact 20 actions in a row. The main organisers of the ecological action and holders of the Think Green project are the Diving Club Roniti se Mora and National Geographic Croatia, as well as other partners of the Komiza Tourist Board, British Embassy Zagreb, Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency, CIOS, Mares, Jamnica, Garmin, ESET NOD32, Zagrebacke pekarne Klara, Medvedgrad Brewery, Perutnina Ptuj, DVD Komiza, DC Manta, DC B-24, DC Issa, Nautical Centre Komiza, Geopark Vis, Modra Spilja, Morski HR and Scubalife.

The seabed in Komiza and Gusarica beach were cleaned by as many as 50 dedicated divers and several volunteers from along the coast, who were joined by the locals of Komiza. Over 200 bags of various waste, dozens of car tyres and batteries, fenders from boats, a hundred metres of steel cables, old pots and chairs were taken out, which were taken care of by the employees of Komiza's communal board. Approximately 1.5 tonnes of bulky waste and waste in bags were collected in total.

Diving parachutes, hooks and boats were used to extract large pieces of debris, and the situation with waste at such busy, semi-closed, micro-locations is of course not satisfactory. After such actions, no one expects the seabed to be completely cleaned, but the educational effect is immeasurable.

Several hundred kilograms of removed waste and garbage aren't negligible, but the real goal of such eco-actions is not only cleaning but also educating citizens, encouraging more responsible behaviour and pointing out the growing danger of pollution. The real goal is to act on awareness and reduce pollution, and only then remediation. The Komiza Think Green action achieved both goals in the right way.

Perhaps the biggest undertaking of this action was the waterfront in Komiza, around which almost most of the waste was removed, while mostly plastic packaging and small items were found on Gusarica beach.

''We're happy and privileged that we were able to donate part of the equipment to the diving club. The best side of this donation is that this equipment will remain in the club and will be used not only in this action on Vis but also in future actions of cleaning waste from the Adriatic sea and beaches, probably one of the most beautiful coasts in the world,'' said British Ambassador to Croatia Andrew Dalgleish.

The United Kingdom is already fully "thinking green" - fighting climate change and cleaning up the environment - and this is an important focus of our action, especially this year, as in exactly one year the UN Conference on Climate Change will be held in our country, in Glasgow. The UK has already committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050, we've banned the use of micro-plastic particles in cosmetic products, and they usually end up right in the seas and oceans. We protect our natural habitats and ecosystems in collaboration with other countries and communities. And just last week, Prince William launched the Earthshot Award, the most prestigious global award in history, which should inspire us and give even more impetus to efforts to "fix" our planet over the next 10 years, and that decade is crucial for the Earth,'' said Dalgleish.

The decisions we make and the actions we take now will have a direct impact on the environment we leave to future generations. We, each of us, are responsible for the actions that will help or hurt our environment,'' concluded the British ambassador.

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