Unbalanced governance: The Cres-Lošinj special marine reserve, a missed conservation opportunity

Croatia sits on the border of the European Union both politically and geographically. Political change towards a liberal democracy has taken time and many aspects of such a system, such as nature protection, have been slow in evolving. Marine conservation is not a priority in the country despite recognition that the islands, coast and adjacent marine area are of particular importance for foreign revenue. Tourism is the major driver of the local economy of these coastal regions and is heavily concentrated in the summer months of July and August. Coordinated management of natural coastal and marine resources with sustainable exploitation is urgently required in the tourism hotspots of the region. The Cres-Lošinj Special Marine Reserve (CLSMR) was designated in 2006 with the specific aim to conserve a local dolphin population and sustainably manage the use of the natural resources of the Cres-Lošinj archipelago. The archipelago is a nationally important region for tourism. Between July 2006 and July 2009 the CLSMR was the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Adriatic Sea. The CLSMR represented Croatian commitments to many of the international environmental agreements signed by the government. However local development commitments made by the sitting political party was in direct conflict with the objectives of the MPA. As a result support for the concept was undermined and, coupled with State paralysis, the imbalance between local development and international commitments led to a proposed downgrading of the MPA and subsequent degazettement.

► The paper examines the case of the Cres-Lošinj Special Marine Reserve in Croatia.
► Croatia recently transitioned to a capitalist system and is awaiting EU membership.
► The marine and coastal environment of Croatia is an important national asset.
► There is an imbalance in favour of local development over international commitments.
► Conservation in this case has been contingent on political objectives.