Italian trawler seized by Croatia

The Croatian navy has intercepted an Italian fishing boat, two days after Zagreb imposed a protection zone in its waters. A government official said the trawler was "illegally present" and it was escorted to a port on the island of Vis for investigation. Italian trawler seized by Croatia The EU had already warned Zagreb that enforcing the zone could harm its bid to join the EU. Croatia argues its fish stocks have been depleted by Italian overfishing. It says that the government loses EUR 300mn each year and complains that Italy's annual catch of 200,000 tons is ten times the size of its own. A police spokeswoman, Zeljka Radosevic, told state radio that the boat had been spotted fishing illegally near a remote Croatian island. "Crew members and the commander will be taken before a judge," Radosevic said. The protected area covers 57,000 sq km of territorial waters. Neighboring Slovenia, which took over the EU presidency on 1 January, has strongly criticized the planned zone. It protested that Slovenia had supported Croatia's efforts to join the EU and as a result was "entitled to expect Croatia to act in a credible manner in this case".

Italian trawler seized by Croatia

The EU had already warned Zagreb that enforcing the zone could harm its bid to join the EU.

Croatia argues its fish stocks have been depleted by Italian overfishing.

It says that the government loses EUR 300mn each year and complains that Italy's annual catch of 200,000 tons is ten times the size of its own.

A police spokeswoman, Željka Radošević, told state radio that the boat had been spotted fishing illegally near a remote Croatian island.

"Crew members and the commander will be taken before a judge," Radošević said.

The protected area covers 57,000 sq km of territorial waters.

Neighboring Slovenia, which took over the EU presidency on 1 January, has strongly criticized the planned zone.

It protested that Slovenia had supported Croatia's efforts to join the EU and as a result was "entitled to expect Croatia to act in a credible manner in this case".