United by a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, volunteers gathered on 22 May in the Fishing Port of Tribunj for a large-scale sea and coastal cleanup event organized by the Adria Fishing Cooperative with the support of WWF-Adria through the EU-funded NETTAG+ project.
Over 60 volunteers participated in the initiative, including divers, employees and members of the Adria Fishing Cooperative, local fishers, and numerous representatives from civil society and the local community, such as LAG “More 249”, Vodice Volunteer Fire Department, Carretta Carretta Association, Mjesno poduzeće d.o.o. Tribunj, the Municipality and Tourist Board of Tribunj, Vodice Fire Department, and Sunce Organization.
Thanks to their collective efforts, 675 kilograms of waste, equivalent to 7 cubic meters, were removed from the port and the nearby Sv. Nikola pier. A particularly valuable contribution came from students at the Maritime School of Split, who, under the expert guidance of Tea Kuzmičić from Sunce Organization and professor Dafne Vlahović, conducted a waste monitoring process. This enabled a professional analysis of the material collected, contributing to long-term data and research on marine pollution.
The event also featured an engaging educational program for children. 69 pupils from grades 1 to 4 of the Tribunj Primary School were gifted with NETTAG+ caps and bottles and the BlueMissionMed “Our Blue Treasure” book where, accompanied by four teachers, they learned about the value and threats impacting ocean and waters and were engaged in daily activities we can do to contribute to the health of our blue ecosystems. In addition, the children were engaged in creative workshops where they made bracelets from old fishing nets, painted buoys, and played educational games designed to raise awareness about protecting the marine environment. Their enthusiasm and curiosity were a powerful reminder that meaningful change often begins with the youngest voices.
In the afternoon, a panel discussion titled “Passive Catch, Active Responsibility: Policy and Practice in Fisheries” was held at the Tribunj Cultural Center. The panel was part of the FishNoWaste project led by the Sunce Organization and featured a diverse group of experts: Valentina Andrić, Head of the Fisheries Advisory Support Service at the Directorate of Fisheries; Dr. Pero Tutman from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries; Božidar Blaslov, founder of the Provir project; Andrea Ivanković, marine biodiversity project officer at WWF Adria; and moderator Tea Kuzmičić Rosandić, Head of the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Department at the Sunce Organization. The discussion highlighted the vital role of collaboration among science, industry, and civil society in safeguarding marine ecosystems.
This inspiring initiative once again demonstrated that collective action could lead to real, tangible progress toward a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Adriatic Sea.
