Lake Bohinj has joined Lake Bled in imposing a series of restrictions on boating as two of the country's prime tourist destinations seek to preserve their Alpine charm, improve safety and minimise the impact on the environment amid the pressure of rising visitor numbers.

Taking cue from their neighbours, who opted for similar measures last year, the Bohinj municipal council has banned kites, pedal boats and any motorised or electric vessels from their lake.

They had been considering the ban last year but as several dilemmas arose they decided to make an analysis first based on monitoring conducted on the lake in summer when it is at its busiest.

Conducted for five non-consecutive days in July and August, the monitoring recorded an average of 243 vessels on the lake in a given moment, well beyond the lake's estimated capacity of 200 vessels.

SUPs accounted for 74% of all vessels recorded, while kayaks and canoes accounted for over 20%.

When discussing restrictions on 6 March, the councillors also debated modern sports equipment and vessels that reach fast speeds and increase the risk of accidents, especially during the peak summer season, when the lake shores are packed with swimmers.

The local authorities had received a number of complaints regarding such vessels, however during the monitoring period only one such vessel was detected.

Nevertheless, the council decided to include those in the ban as well, expecting them to become more common in the future.

Pedalos have also been banned in an effort to promote traditional boats from natural materials and boats that do not spoil the image of the Alpine lake.

The use of boats will be allowed between March and November. A general ban is in place in the designated bathing areas of Ukanc and Fužinski Zaliv, however those in boats, kayaks and canoes, and on SUPs are allowed entry and exit from water when steering perpendicular to the shore.

The municipal council also decided to step up oversight, with Mayor Jože Sodja and other representatives underlining that the lake is located in the Triglav National Park, Slovenia's largest natural park, and therefore sufficient measures must be taken to protect its ecosystem.

The municipality also wants to curb illegal camping, an issue faced by virtually all communities in northwestern Slovenia, and address heavy traffic.