Planning of Assignment and Protection of Marine Area in Split- Dalmatia County
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Dadic V., Srdelic M. (2001). Planing of assignment and protection of marine area in split-dalmatia county. In: D. Kereković, E. Nowak (ed.). GIS Polonia 2001. Hrvatski Informatićki Zbor – GIS Forum, Croatia, 179-189. PLANNING OF ASSIGNMENT AND PROTECTION OF MARINE AREA IN SPLIT- DALMATIA COUNTY 1 2 Vlado DADIC , Mladen SRDELIC 1 Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries 21 000 Split, Ivana Meštrovića 63, Croatia [email protected] 2 Croatian Hydrographic Institute 21 000 Split, Zrinsko Frankopanska 161, Croatia E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The key factor for planning of sustainable development of marine areas is the definition of their assignments. In the frame of these tasks different classification criteria for usage and protection of marine areas were defined, based on the possible conflicts among different activities and biological diversity principles. The most ecologically sensitive marine areas, e.g. areas rich with flora and fauna, or very important for fish spawning, have been recognised with the aim to be protected. Overlaying of different thematic layers by GIS tools, created on the base of the predefined criteria and actual stage of marine environment, the optimal assignments of marine areas in the Split - Dalmatia County were proposed. 1 Introduction Split-Dalmatia County is spatially the largest county in the Republic of Croatia and it is located in the middle part of the region of Dalmatia (Fig. 1) . Marine is the most valuable natural resource of this County and represents 67 % of total area (9.470 km2). So, marine area is suitable for development of various economic activities (tourism, maritime affairs, trade, fishing, mariculture and shipbuilding, etc.). Marine area in Split-Dalmatia County represents the complex ecological system that is very sensitive on influence of the human activities. Unfortunately, the main quantity of waste matters as result of human activities directly or indirectly comes in the sea. Bringing waste matters in the sea, exploitation of marine and its renewable and not renewable resources without regulations, or bringing alohote species can cause degradation of the marine environment. For example, in Split-Dalmatia County there are more sewerage systems with outlets in the sea, uncontrolled exploitation of marine sands has been done, toxic alga Caulerpa taxifolia was brought, etc. Due to these activities changes in the marine ecosystem can be short-term without or long-term with permanent degradation of it (e.g. changing in species population). In objective of enabling sustainable development (investigation, exploitation and protection) of marine area as well as whole County area it is necessary to adopt a plan of marine area assignment as a part of complex management program of coastal area. CROATIA Fig. 1 Location of Split-Dalmatia County Dadic V., Srdelic M. (2001). Planing of assignment and protection of marine area in split-dalmatia county. In: D. Kereković, E. Nowak (ed.). GIS Polonia 2001. Hrvatski Informatićki Zbor – GIS Forum, Croatia, 179-189. Based on specific physical, chemical and biological properties, marine area belonging to Split- Dalmatia County has been divided in particular areas as follows: wide area of Trogir Bay, islands of Big and Small Drvenik, island of Solta, Channels of Split and Brac, Kastela Bay, Channel of Hvar, Channels of Neretva and island of Korcula, Channels of islands Vis and Bisevo, area of island of Jabuka and area of Palagruza archipelago. For each of these areas border and measures of protection were defined; natural properties, existing stage and possible conflicts were reviewed. Coastal area (Kastela Bay and Trogir, Split and Brac Channels) is under strong coastal influence, and other areas are more influenced by water mass of the open sea. In biological sense, marine area in County is oligotrophic (biologically less productive) except in the wide area of city of Split. Actual natural condition of marine area in the County can be shown through more relevant parameters but unfortunately, there are no enough related measurements in the most of marine areas. In fact, there are many research activities of physical, chemical and biological properties of marine area close to city of Split, and some occasionally investigation had been undertaken in a few areas in the frame of some developing programs. For example, there is no information on the quantity of toxic, long-term stabile and accumulated matters in marine as PAH, PCB, etc. Based on measured data and background knowledge of marine ecosystem an assignment of usage of marine areas in Split-Dalmatia County was proposed. In resolving of this task the great help gave RDBMS (Relational database management system) in connection with GIS technology. 2 Methodology in organizing database and GIS layers As a basic part of determination of assignment of the marine area there has been attempt to define suitable spatial and non-spatial parameters for the collection of coastal area related information and data. Appropriate databases (MEDAS - Marine environmental database of the Adriatic Sea) with spatial and non-spatial data were developed in the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split. It consists of two parts: Relational database with row data (thematic data related sea, land and area) developed with ORACLE RDBMS and corresponding CASE tools, Topological database with graphical data (geographic map layers, geographic objects and features, their corresponding attributes, etc.) developed with Arc/Info and ArcView software tools. Overlaying of different spatial layers GIS technology enables visual presentation of spatial relationship among different users, possible conflicts in the marine area, visualisation of “what if” analysis to help decision maker in assignment of usage of marine areas, etc. 3 Principles and criteria for planning of marine area assignment In the context of planning any activity we must start from a national policy statement. The next instance is local (county) policy statement that will lead to the structuring of the action and planning procedure. One of the most important stages of planning process involves a global database concerning existing and planned economic activities, evaluation of the demands of particular coastal users, global environmental conditions, as well as life support infrastructure. During planning in determination of assignment of marine area in Split-Dalmatia County the next basic principles were took into account: Marine protection from any kind of pollution, Protection of areas as national valuable resources in such manner that developing projects planned to be build in the area of existing centres, Improvement of existing traffic routes avoiding opening a new ones in objectives protection of environment, Secure and interconnection of developing marine and coastal area with secure the most important natural resources, Secure and protection areas important for spawning and growing of economically important species as well as ecologically valuable areas, Secure of all subjects’ involvement in the process of developing planning with accepting their specific role in the realisation of development, protection and monitoring of the environment. Dadic V., Srdelic M. (2001). Planing of assignment and protection of marine area in split-dalmatia county. In: D. Kereković, E. Nowak (ed.). GIS Polonia 2001. Hrvatski Informatićki Zbor – GIS Forum, Croatia, 179-189. While applying the above mentioned principles the next criteria were took in account: Classification of homogeneous zones, Management of city development, Location of industrial zones and objects, Determination of zones for tourism and recreation, specially protected areas and areas suitable for mariculture, Socio-economic criteria. Also, based on principles of protection of marine biological diversity the next basic criteria for sustainable exploitation of live marine resources were defined: Minimal size of economically important species to be allowed for fishing and marketing, Period of spawning of economically important species, Maximal allowed power of trawlers engine and total number fishing licence for trawlers, Kind and size of allowed fishing tools, Protocol for usage of fishing tools and their specific purposes, Restriction in fishing of different species and predefined yearly quote, Number of privileges for economical fishing, and number of licences for small fishing, Fishing for recreation and sport and yearly quotes, Reviewing of stage of marine species communities, waste matters thrown from fishing boats, and optimal conditions for spawning, feeding and growing of marine species. 3 Sources of pollution in marine area As a first step in planning of assignment of marine area is recognising of activities those mainly influence on degradation of marine ecosystem. In this paper classification of main activities with the most effect on the marine environment is based on the Convention for protection of Mediterranean Sea adopted 1976 and revised 1995 in Barcelona. It includes: activities and sources located on land, pollution from ships or burned matter in the sea, and pollution as result of investigation and exploitation of sea and sea bed. In Split-Dalmatia County the major pollutants in marine area are: Waste water of the cities (total number of population is 550 thousands, and total quantity of waste water is 62 billion of cubic meters per year including about 50% of waste water without any purification), Industrial waste water (mainly in area between