This indicator shows the annual number of pollution incidences at sea in Slovenia which were reported to the Office for the Protection of Coastal Waters according to the identified polluter and type of pollutant (oil or other).

Figure MR1-1 shows that in the period from 1977 to 2006, the Office for the Protection of Coastal Waters (OPCW) acted in 708 cases, of which 322 were pollutions by oil. Polluters were identified in 156 cases, while in 552 cases the polluters remained unidentified.

It is evident from the graphic representation that a slight increase in the number of reported pollutions occurred in the period from 1992 to 2002, which fact is difficult to comment upon due to the insufficient database. Greater awareness of people reporting such incidences and most likely the increase in the number of registered smaller boats intended for recreation (approximately 9000 registered boats in Slovenia) also partly contributed to this fact. Irrespective of the quality of the existing data source it may be assumed that illegal discharges of smaller quantities of oil (oil derivatives which are not readily degradable) into the sea are predominant in Slovenia. Taking into account the total number of noted and reported incidences we may assume that these pollutions, according to all the characteristics of our sea (semi-closed, shallow bay, relatively small volume, great impact of climate factors and poor exchange of water mass ...), have considerable negative effects on marine environment, in particular in comparison with open seas.

This fact dictates the need for the establishment of a system for detection and thereby the forming of an appropriate database for the following-up of related indicators from the area of transport whose target is to eliminate pollutions by non-readily degradable oils and prohibit their discharge. Namely, in addition to shipping, boats contribute an important share of smaller, illegal spills of oil into the marine environment, predominantly in the summer-time period.

The indicated data and facts, as regards actual cases of spills below the detection limit of the EU standard by no means attest to the fact that pollution by spills exceeding 7 tons is not possible in Slovenia or in the immediate vicinity of the Slovenian sea. Namely, the north Adriatic sea is becoming, globally speaking, one of the most important waterways for oil and its derivatives and other more or less hazardous substances. This also represents a high risk for our sea, i.e. in view of the potential greater sudden oil or oil derivative spills.

Should greater quantities of oil or oil derivatives spill into our sea we would witness a rapid spread of pollution to crucial parts of the sea and coast-line i.e. upon momentarily inadequate equipment of the OPCW. Due to the closed nature and shallow waters of our sea as well as geomorphological diversity of the coast-line, the cleaning and remedying of consequences of pollution in the aforementioned areas would constitute a very difficult task and the economic and ecological damage to the sea and the coast would be enormous.

Concerning events of major spills, interstate activities (in Slovenia, Italy, and Croatia) for implementation of the Agreement on the Sub-regional Contingency Plan for Prevention of, Preparedness for and Response to Major Marine Pollution Incidents in the Adriatic Sea, which was signed on November 2005 in Portorož at the 14th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention of the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Costal Region of the Mediterranean or Barcelona Convention.