Croatia lacks ships to control sea zone

ZAGREB, Croatia, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Croatia is unable to control its fishing protection zone in the Adriatic Sea because it has no vessels to patrol maritime borders with Italy and Slovenia.

The Croatian Defense Ministry plans to buy four patrol boats but it is not certain the vessels will be in its possession by the end of this year, the Croatian-language newspaper Vecernji List said Wednesday.

The Croatian Navy has old ships that are short of "some important parts" and weapons, making them unfit for preventing foreign ships from violating the protection zone, Vecernji said.

Despite European Union opposition, Croatia Tuesday said its fishing protection zone is being applied to EU member states with which the Zagreb government has unresolved fishing and maritime border issues. The states in question were identified as Italy and Slovenia.