A meeting summarising the 2023 sailing season on the Żuławy Loop was held in Nowy Dwór Gdański on 7 December. It was organised by the local governments of the Pomorskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeships and the Żuławy Association. It was attended by administrators, waterway managers, safety services and representatives of the boating community.
The Żuławy Loop, through which the International Waterway E70 runs, is a popular destination for boaters. Owing to the constantly developing infrastructure and ongoing investments, the number of its supporters continues to grow. This is not to say that there is no need for further work on this waterway, and its popularity even causes additional problems.
The meeting was held to discuss issues concerning the development of navigation and safety on this waterway. The main items on the agenda were:
- Restoration of navigation on the Pasłęka River,
- Revitalisation and signposting of waterways,
- Facilitating lock operations on the canal through the Vistula Spit,
- Improving and facilitating access to navigable water bodies,
- Safety on the waterways, in particular the enforcement of powers held and the prevention of violations of navigation regulations.
The discussion was fruitful and, at times, quite emotional. Important conclusions are that the Marine Office will provide improvements to crossing the canal through the Vistula Spit and consent for joint actions to be taken by the Inland Waterway Authority and local authorities to ensure safety on the waterways.
