Developing a program for the extension of the existing facility for the processing of olives, tomatoes and cucumbers, a marina and a pond for sport fishing and breeding fish and ducks on Lake Šaš, Bojana and Špatula, programs for the possibility of trading and processing frogs as food of animal origin intended for human consumption and exploitation of California earthworms and packaging of dried figs, are projects whose implementation in Ulcinj was extremely interested in Croatians and Italians in the eighties of the last century.
They were marginalized due to the carelessness and frivolity of the then municipal and republican authorities and later forgotten in the whirlwind of the bloody war in the former SFRY. This can be concluded from the correspondence in which "Vijesti" had access, between the directors of "Ribozajednica" Yugoslavia from Zagreb Cvjetan Bojčić with the management of "Agropogon" from Ulcinj, which then operated as part of "Montenegroturista" from Budva.
from Ulcinj Dzelal Hodzic, who at that time was in the management of "Agropogon", remembers that "there was no time" for those projects. Both the municipal and republican authorities, he says, were then dominantly subordinated to providing accommodation for residents who lost their homes in the 1979 earthquake.
"No one cared about those projects, even though we were in Zagreb several times at meetings with those people, who were really knowledgeable and credible. When everything should have finally ended, it stopped on our side. Later, the war came and so our city was left without very important projects, which could essentially define the development of tourism in other directions as well", Hodžić told "Vijesta".
Comrades, it's stuck with you
In a letter dated May 28, 1989, Bojčić addresses the management of the Ulcinj company "semi-officially and semi-privately, as a representative of Ribozajednica - the fishermen's association".
"You have received the pre-investment study of the 'Sasko jezero' Ulcinj Fisheries. As one of the main authors, I finished my part at the beginning of January, as agreed. Later, there were only a few additions and corrections after the remarks of dr Drecuna. The delay in completing the documentation is largely 'up to you' - sketches, location, information about OOUR. It's a shame, this program could have been at the April session of the Committee for Programs from the Fund for Underdeveloped Areas (FNP) of the Republic of Croatia and passed," Bojčić's letter reads.
To his friends and colleagues from "Agropogon", Bojčić explains "that it is better to turn to water if there is no chance of realization and that he knows that OOUR does not have its own funds".
"Based on that, we held talks at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce with another Branko Zagorec whom you also know and we have found a potential holder of the FNP loan from Croatia. Now we have found a way and a way to close the financial construction in the highest quality by including a partner from Italy who is very interested in the program and the joint investment, as well as the joint venture. He is also interested in a significant increase and expansion of the program, especially in catching and breeding sea fish", writes Bojčić and adds that the partner is from Italy, "since he heard" about initiatives and ideas about the construction and expansion of a citrus plantation and the construction of a marina with accompanying catering facilities. facilities, he became very interested in those programs as well.
"And I'm sorry, comrades, now it's seriously stuck with you," Bojčić stated.
He criticizes the administration for not organizing a visit to Zagreb for a meeting with partners from Italy, noting that the only justification for this is "if you have no interest".
"But in that case, it would be time for you to tell us openly. Already at the beginning of the contact with the Italians, we were upset that they resented us very much and now they are in doubt whether it is all serious, including us", said Bojčić.
However, he is of the opinion that all this can be smoothed out if the interest really exists and if the representatives of "Agropogon" organize and announce their arrival at the meeting with the hosts and the Italians.
"If for any reason, dear comrades, which do not concern us, you cannot continue activities related to the fisheries program and other programs, it would be nice and fair for you to inform me personally so that I would stop with that story and so that I would not continue roared Because I can assure you that I really got involved everywhere pushing and praising your program," the letter reads at the end.
Fish, ducks and earthworms
Two years earlier, at the beginning of April 1987, in a letter to Hodžić, the director of the Technical and Economic Bureau - Consulting project, Nikola Počuča, summarizing the talks previously held in Zagreb, talks about the next steps in the realization of those projects. He stated that the elaboration of the elaboration of the extension of the existing facility for the processing of olives, tomatoes and cucumbers is a prerequisite for the conclusion of the SAS on pooling the funds of the federation, labor organizations of Croatia and Montenegro.
"In order to be able to combine 50 percent of the total investment shown in the study, the consent of your Chamber of Commerce is required. We will prepare the investment documentation alternatively with the program of 6 and 10 thousand tons of tomatoes processed into juice semi-concentrate and concentrate", the letter explains.
It is stated that it would be rational to build a pond for sport fishing along the Bojana River, in which the production of fish in floating cages and ducks on the pond would be organized as side activities, but "financially more profitable". Ducks would be prepared in the kitchens in the Peking style.
"Within the tourism hospitality industry, especially since there is a significant number of foreign tourists in the area of the Ulcinj Riviera, the offer should be enriched through the sale and processing of frogs as human food. In terms of form, content and scope, this activity could be organized similarly to the one in Lokava near Delnice", the letter suggests.
The Bojana River and the surrounding canal of the salt pan were intended for this purpose.
When it comes to the cultivation of the California earthworm, it is stated that it fully fits into the program of agricultural activities of the social and individual sector in the Ulcinj region, especially since it does not require significant financial investments.
Hodžić remembers that during one of their visits to Zagreb, their hosts prepared lunch with a special specialty - frog drumsticks.
"I ate them for the first time then, they were delicious. They also served us with bear meat, it was a bit strange, but also very tasty", says Hodžić.
He says that he tried several times to "revive" those projects.
"I wrote to some addresses, so far there is no answer. I will go on and on. Ulcinj needs these projects, they just need to be pulled out of the drawer," says Hodžić.
Painted as Amazonia
Hodžić remembers the visit of a Croatian delegation to Ulcinj through cooperation related to the implementation of projects.
"When they came to Bojana, they couldn't believe where they were. They saw a beautiful river and endless green spaces. They asked me if they were in the Amazon. They told me: 'Jelal, nobody has what you have'. But at that time there were only a couple of fishermen's houses on Bojana", Hodžić says wistfully.
Bonus video:
