Gastro-music event "The Sea That Feeds Us" arrives on Sunday in Jadrija near Šibenik
The gastro-music event of the project "The Sea That Feeds Us" will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Jadrija near Šibenik, following last week's event in Minerska Bay. The organizers announce a relaxed seaside gathering with a live music program, open-air preparation of shellfish dishes, talks about local fisheries and mariculture, and a knowledge quiz with prizes for participants. Admission to the event is free and open to all interested citizens and visitors.
It is a continuation of a promotional and educational program which, according to project announcements, was designed to bring the importance of the sea, sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and local products from Šibenik-Knin County closer to a wider audience. The event in Jadrija comes one week after the event in Minerska, where visitors gathered near the St. Anthony's Channel Visitor Center and Nature Bar and took part in a program that connected gastronomy, music and educational content. According to reports from that event, the greatest interest was attracted by open-air cooking of shellfish dishes, talks about seafood products and informal socializing with music.
Jadrija as a natural stage for a story about the sea and food
Jadrija was not chosen by chance as one of the project's final locations. According to information from the Šibenik Tourist Board, it is a city beach and weekend settlement that is recognized in Šibenik's identity for its long tradition, proximity to the sea and characteristic cabins in different colors. Such an atmosphere suits the theme of the event because the program does not take place indoors, but right by the coast, in an environment that naturally connects everyday life by the sea, local gastronomy and public space.
For visitors coming from outside Šibenik, Jadrija is also a practical excursion location, and the event itself is conceived as a daytime event lasting three hours. Since the program is connected with the sea, local food and spending time outdoors, it may also be interesting to those who are planning a shorter stay or a weekend trip in the Šibenik area. In that context, accommodation offers in Šibenik and the surroundings of Jadrija may also be useful, especially for visitors who want to combine the event with a tour of the coast, St. Anthony's Channel or other Šibenik locations.
The program combines cooking, music and discussion about local production
The central part of Sunday's program will be gastronomic content with shellfish dishes, which is a continuation of the concept presented in Minerska. Such a format allows fisheries and aquaculture products to be presented not only through professional discussions or promotional materials, but through the direct experience of tasting and talking with people connected to the sea and local production. According to the announcement, the program also includes a live music performance, which gives the event a more relaxed character and opens it to an audience that might not otherwise take part in professional gatherings about fisheries or mariculture.
An important part of the event is also a knowledge quiz with prizes for contestants. This element gives the educational content a more accessible form, because information about the sea, shellfish, sustainable production and local products is conveyed through participation, and not only through one-way presentation. In projects of this type, this is important because the topics of sustainability, traceability and food production often seem distant from everyday life, although they directly affect the local economy, eating habits and the preservation of marine resources.
The event is intended for a wide audience, with no special registration and no admission charge. Such an approach allows the project not to remain only within the circle of producers, experts and institutions, but to reach families, excursionists, local residents and everyone who wants to learn more about marine products from the area of Šibenik-Knin County. It is precisely this combination of informal socializing and education that is one of the main features of the program "The Sea That Feeds Us".
A project worth 518,750 euros
According to data from Šibenik-Knin County, the project "The Sea That Feeds Us" has a total value of 518,750 euros and is financed from the Fisheries and Aquaculture Program of the Republic of Croatia for the period 2021-2027 within Measure IV.3. "Placing fisheries and aquaculture products on the market". The official project page states that implementation began on January 29, 2025, and ends on June 1, 2026, with 100-percent funding from non-repayable funds.
The project holder is Šibenik-Knin County, and according to an earlier county announcement, the project was submitted with the professional assistance of the Šibenik-Knin County Development Agency. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, or the Directorate of Fisheries, approved financing within a program aimed at supporting the fisheries and aquaculture sector and strengthening the market recognition of products. The county announcement emphasized that the goal of the project is to raise public awareness of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the county area, but also beyond.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Program 2021-2027, according to information from the EU Funds portal, makes 348.1 million euros available to the Republic of Croatia, of which 243.7 million euros come from the European budget and 104.4 million euros from the budget of the Republic of Croatia. In that broader framework, projects such as "The Sea That Feeds Us" are directed toward the market, promotion, information and development of a sector that is important to coastal areas both economically and in terms of identity. Official program documentation states that one of the priorities concerns encouraging sustainable aquaculture, processing and marketing activities for fisheries and aquaculture products, thereby contributing to food supply security.
Why fisheries and mariculture are important for Šibenik-Knin County
In announcements about the project, Šibenik-Knin County emphasizes that fisheries and aquaculture have significant development potential, but also that producers face a number of challenges. Among them are the need for professional support, limited investments, market visibility and the need for better presentation of local products. That is precisely why the project includes not only public events, but also educational, promotional and professional activities aimed at producers, consumers and younger generations.
Mariculture, or the farming of marine organisms, in the Šibenik area is particularly connected with shellfish and other seafood products. The project's promotional activities mention shellfish, local fisheries products and the gastronomic presentation of marine foods, which fits into the broader picture of a coastal economy in which tradition, hospitality and contemporary sustainability requirements increasingly overlap. When such products are presented through public events, consumers get an opportunity to better understand the origin of food, the method of production and the difference between a local product and goods that reach the market without a clear story about their place of origin.
According to the rules for the implementation of Measure IV.3., placing fisheries and aquaculture products on the market refers to making those products available on the market of the European Union for the first time, whether for payment or free of charge, within a commercial activity. In practice, this means that support is not connected only with production itself, but also with the product's path toward buyers, hospitality businesses, distributors and the wider public. That is why projects like this emphasize promotion, education and the creation of added value, and not only the quantity of food produced.
From school education to promotion in Croatia and abroad
As part of the project "The Sea That Feeds Us", according to available information, numerous activities aimed at promoting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture have been carried out so far. The original project description mentions educational activities for primary and secondary school students, the promotion of fisheries and aquaculture products in Croatia and abroad, and the organization of professional and promotional events dedicated to the sea, food and sustainability. In this way, the project expands beyond the format of a single event and becomes a platform for connecting education, local producers and public promotion.
One example of international promotion was recorded in Ljubljana, where, according to a post by the Adria Tribunj Fishermen's Cooperative, marine products from Šibenik-Knin County were presented, including fresh mussels and oysters from Šibenik Bay and striped red mullet. Such activities show that the project addresses not only the local audience, but also tries to increase product recognition beyond Croatia's borders. For producers, this is important because market competitiveness increasingly depends on origin, quality, the story about the product and the ability to explain to customers why local marine products have special value.
The educational part of the project is especially important because consumption habits and the understanding of sustainability are shaped over the long term. When students learn through workshops and meetings about fisheries, shellfish farming, marine preservation and local food, the topic moves beyond the framework of an individual news story or promotional event. Such an approach can contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the marine ecosystem, the economy and everyday nutrition, which is especially important in coastal communities where the sea is not only a tourist resource, but also a source of work, food and identity.
Minerska showed audience interest
Last week's event in Minerska Bay was held on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the area near the St. Anthony's Channel Visitor Center and Nature Bar. According to media reports, the event gathered numerous visitors who tasted seafood, followed the preparation of shellfish and took part in a relaxed program with music. The organizers thereby received confirmation that the combination of gastronomy and education can attract an audience beyond classic professional circles.
Minerska was the first of two gastro-music events in the final phase of the project, and Jadrija has been announced as the continuation of that concept. It is important here that the program is not presented as an isolated promotion of a single product, but as a broader conversation about the sea that feeds the coast, producers and consumers. At a time when there is increasing discussion about sustainability, climate pressures, resource conservation and food supply security, such local programs can play the role of a bridge between public policies and citizens' everyday experience.
The choice of Minerska and Jadrija also symbolically connects two recognizable Šibenik coastal points. Minerska is located by St. Anthony's Channel, an area that in recent years has often been associated with the interpretation of natural and cultural heritage, while Jadrija is one of Šibenik's most recognizable beaches. In this way, the project is placed in spaces that already have a strong connection for the public with the sea, walking, excursions and spending time outdoors.
Free admission and program from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday's program in Jadrija begins at 11 a.m. and will last until 2 p.m. Visitors can expect open-air cooking of shellfish dishes, live music, talks about the importance of local fisheries and mariculture, and a knowledge quiz with prizes. According to the announcement, admission is free, which makes the event accessible to a wide audience and casual passers-by who happen to be in Jadrija that day.
Since the program is held outdoors and by the sea, visitors are advised to come in accordance with weather conditions and plans for spending time on the coast, especially if they want to stay after the event ends. The event is limited in time to the middle of the day, so it is suitable for a shorter family outing, a meeting with local producers or an informal introduction to the topics behind fisheries and aquaculture products. At the center of the program remains the simple message of the project: the sea is not only the backdrop of coastal life, but a source of food, work, knowledge and responsibility toward resources that must be preserved.
Sources:
- Šibenik-Knin County - official description of the project "The Sea That Feeds Us", value, duration and method of financing (link)
- Šibenik-Knin County - announcement on approved financing of the project and goals of promoting fisheries and aquaculture (link)
- EU Funds Croatia - data on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Program 2021-2027 and the total financial envelope (link)
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Program of the Republic of Croatia - program priorities and goals for the period 2021-2027 (link)
- Narodne novine - Ordinance on the implementation of Measure IV.3. "Placing fisheries and aquaculture products on the market" (link)
- Tourist Board of the City of Šibenik - description of Jadrija as a city beach and weekend settlement (link)
- Gastro 24sata - report from the gastro-music event in Minerska as part of the project "The Sea That Feeds Us" (link)
- Index Food - report on the event in Minerska Bay on May 10, 2026 (link)
- Adria Tribunj Fishermen's Cooperative - post about the promotion of marine products from Šibenik-Knin County in Ljubljana (link)