June the 9th, 2025 – As if anyone needed any more reasons to love the gorgeous Mljet National Park, now there’s another one. Mljet is planning to electrify as many boats operating on its territory as possible in order to protect the delicate balance of its ecosystem.

As Morski writes, Mljet National Park is firmly continuing to implement all kinds of sustainable practices in nature protection. It’s now going one step further with plans to expand the electrification of boats to the local community of the entire island.

As part of a multi-year programme to promote green mobility, Mljet National Park hopes to electrify as many boats as it can. With that aim in mind, it recently launched a brand new initiative that enables the co-financing of electric outboard motors for residents of this magical Dalmatian island. Through a public tender, which will remain open until June the 16th, 2025, all adult residents of Mljet with registered vessels are being offered the opportunity to switch to quieter and more environmentally friendly forms of navigation.

This measure which will hopefully eventually see Mljet electrify all of its boats, directly contributes to the protection of sensitive marine ecosystems. That’s especially true for Natura 2000 areas, of which it is a part. The move will also work to reduce CO₂ emissions and preserve the quality of the sea and soil, as both are resources of vital importance for the future of the island and its residents, both human and otherwise.

It’s worth noting that moves like this aren’t new for this island. The Mljet National Park Public Institution has been actively working on the electrification of transport within the Park since back in 2019. It has all been done with the aim of preserving the island’s truly unique natural heritage, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of stay for visitors and life for the local population. In cooperation with the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, the park has acquired three electric catamarans that transport visitors to the island of Sveta Marija on a daily basis. This form of transport has proven to be extremely efficient and environmentally friendly, especially considering that the Mljet National Park records around 130,000 visitors annually, 100,000 of whom take a boat ride on the Great Lake.

“After fully electrifying our transport of visitors on the lakes seven years ago, we decided to make the same possible for the local population. We believe that Mljet planning to electrify all of its boats will further protect the fragile ecosystems of the lake, as well as the entire sea surrounding the island,” stated Mljet National Park’s director, Ivan Sršen.


 


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