The Kornati National Park Public Institution manages the Kornati National Park, proclaimed in 1980, which is the most indented island archipelago in the Mediterranean. Located in the central Adriatic in Šibenik-Knin County, the park encompasses 89 islands, islets and rocks, covering 21,900 hectares, of which almost 75% is sea. It was established by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and the area is not permanently inhabited and is 100% owned by the Republic of Croatia. Part of the land area is traditionally used for livestock and olive growing by local pasture owners.

Management and conservation

The Kornati National Park is managed by the public institution in a way that balances the objectives of preserving natural and cultural values ​​with the needs of tourism and other stakeholders. According to the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the park falls into Category II of protected areas, focused on the protection of ecosystems with sustainable use. Long-term monitoring of conditions, such as sea temperature and the quality of the marine environment, is carried out in the park, which contributes to the understanding of changes at the regional level. The institution also has long-term collaborations with research institutions to improve the scientific basis for nature conservation.

The institution manages parts of the Natura 2000 ecological network, including:

Important conservation area for marine species and habitat types (POVS, HR3000162 Kornati Islands) with targeted habitat types:

1170: Reefs
1120*: Posidonia oceanicae settlements
8330: Flooded or partially flooded sea caves
1240: Cliffs and cliffs of the Mediterranean coast covered with endemic species Limonium spp.

Important conservation area for birds (POP, HR1000017 Kornati Islands) within the boundaries of the national park for the following species:

- rock partridge (Alectoris graeca)
- coastal warbler (Anthus campestris)
- eagle owl (Bubo bubo)
- hawk (Caprimulgus europaeus)
- common buzzard (Circaetus gallicus)
- common harrier (Circus cyaneus)
- small falcon (Falco columbarius)
- peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- black-throated raptor (Gavia arctica)
- Russian magpie (Lanius collurio)
- gray magpie (Lanius minor)
- cormorant (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii).
- The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is the only target species in the park area.

International cooperation and projects

The Kornati National Park public institution actively participates in national and international projects focused on nature protection. JU NP Kornati is an active member of the Croatian network of marine protected areas and participates in projects that promote the protection of marine ecosystems.

After approximately two decades of efforts to establish a legal anchorage system, the Kornati National Park Public Administration managed to obtain a concession for anchorages in 2018, and in the next 7 years, through several projects, it installed the first 136 buoys in 15 locations, offering its visitors free and safe mooring to the buoys with a purchased ticket.