ZAGREB, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Croatian fishermen have received fines from neighboring Slovenia for fishing in a disputed bay in the Adriatic Sea, Croatian Nova TV reported on Monday.
According to Nova TV, a fisherman from Croatia, together with his wife, received on Monday by mail 13 separate fines from Slovenia, each worth 500 euros ( 620 U.S. dollars). In addition, another fisherman received the same fine for "illegally crossing Slovenia's maritime border".
The fishermen said that they would not pay fines but send them to the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture, as fishermen were instructed by the Croatian government in such cases.
On January 27, Slovenian police said that it had forwarded the first 14 fines to fishermen in Croatia. Police warned that those who don't pay the fine will be banned from entering Slovenia.
The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on the same day by a diplomatic note to Slovenia, explaining that "the fishermen were in Croatian waters". It also announced that Croatia would respond in the same way, by sending fines to Slovenian fishermen.
The Gulf of Piran in the Adriatic Sea is in the center of the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia.
