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October 24th, 2008
Scuba diving in Croatia is a big industry that attracts around 70,000 tourists a year. Croatia’s clear waters are filled with fish and a number of shipwrecks over the centuries give wreck divers something to explore.
Unfortunately, where there is money there are people looking to cut corners. Diving without authorization, diving in prohibited waters (such as National Parks) and dive “courses” run by unqualified “divemasters” have become a serious problem. Zoran Drnasin, the head of this new department for the sea and protection of diving, recently remarked:
“Such people not only take our jobs but act as though they were in some kind of Banana Republic and can do whatever they want to without penalty. Current diving regulations are too old, do not provide for crimes and need to be changed as soon as possible.”
The new law, among other things, will make diving legal only for those aged 14 or older and allow women for the first time to work as professional divers (Duh).
Fines for violations of the law will range from 5,000 kunas or 690 Euros up to 300,000 kunas or 41,000 Euros. The Ministry hopes that the risk of being fined will help restore order to diving, especially diving by tourists.
See more about scuba diving in Croatia .
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