In July, the Harbor Master's Office and maritime police recorded 204 violations in the area of navigation safety, of which more than 90 percent relate to unauthorized speeding closer than 300 meters from the shore.
In Zadar's sea during July 2026, a total of 204 navigation safety violations were recorded, with more than ninety percent of them involving speeding at distances less than 300 meters from the shore. According to information from Zadarski list, the data was provided by staff of the Harbor Master's Office in Zadar and members of the Zadar Maritime and Airport Police Station.
Compared to the same period last year, the total number of violations slightly decreased, from 219 in July 2025 to 204 in July 2026. However, the number of speeding violations increased from 186 to 190. In practice, this means that Zadar's maritime police and the Harbor Master's Office issued an average of seven fines per day, six of which were for speeding.
Recently, an incident in Kornati vividly illustrates how tense such situations at sea have become. After people on a boat were warned about speeding near the shore, a heated reaction followed. From the boat, people began shouting and cursing at those who had warned them. The footage particularly highlights a woman who, from the bow of the boat, loudly engages in an argument and points toward the shore. At one point, she claims that the island they are near is hers. "This is ours, for God's sake. This is my island," the woman shouts. According to information published by the media, the argument was preceded by speeding along the shore, which prompted people on the boat to be warned not to drive that way. After the warning, a loud dispute ensued between people on the two vessels, and a man from one boat said: "You're speeding along the shore." When the woman noticed someone was recording her, she began insulting and repeating that the island was theirs. "This is my island, come here, damn you, this is my island," she shouted. It is unknown whether the incident ended only in a verbal conflict or whether the relevant authorities were notified.
According to the Ordinance on the Safety of Maritime Navigation in Internal Waters and the Territorial Sea of the Republic of Croatia, all vessels within 150 meters of the shore must navigate with special care and at a speed not exceeding five knots. At a distance of 150 to 300 meters from the shore, the maximum permitted speed is eight knots.
Navigation by motorboats, jet skis, and other vessels that move using hydrodynamic lift is only allowed more than 300 meters from the shore, and exclusively in zones where such driving is not prohibited. The Maritime Code prescribes fines ranging from 3,000 to 50,000 kuna, or from 400 to 6,600 euros, depending on the severity of the violation, for non-compliance with navigation rules.
Data varies depending on the institution publishing it. The Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure reported that during July 2026, a total of 85 navigation safety violations were recorded, for which fines totaling 70,393 euros were imposed. Of these, 75 violations were for speeding, with total fines of 42,200 euros.
On the other hand, the Zadar Maritime and Airport Police Station recorded a total of 119 maritime violations in July 2026, while in the same month of 2025, 129 violations were recorded. Due to speeding during July 2026, 115 offenders were sanctioned, compared to 127 offenders in July 2025. The Zadar Police Department notes that other maritime violations, such as failing to mark diving sites or operating a boat without proper qualifications, were recorded in significantly smaller numbers.
Regarding maritime accidents, one accident was recorded in July 2026, involving a person falling from an electric SUP. In the same month of 2025, two accidents were recorded: a boat capsizing and a collision between two jet skis, which was characterized as a criminal offense of endangering special types of traffic.
In July, officers of the Zadar Harbor Master's Office issued average fines of 560 euros for speeding violations, while for other navigation safety violations, average fines amounted to 2,819 euros.
