October 22, 2020 - Members of the working group for the fight against illegal fishing, which consists of representatives of relevant institutions and the civil sector, stated at their last meeting that a broad front in activities against various types of illegal fishing has borne fruit, and that significant results have been achieved. In the past three years, many activities have been carried out, both at sea and on land. As a result of intensified and joint activities, a significant number of people have been prosecuted, especially in cases of illegal use of nets, dynamite, generators, and night diving with lamps. Also, the use of dynamite has dropped significantly.
The fact that in 2020 two people were sentenced to five months in prison for illegal fishing was assessed as a particularly significant step forward. Considering that unfortunately only such restrictive measures can put a stop to theft in the fisheries sector, the Working Group representatives expressed hope that the prosecution and courts will continue to resolve processed cases and severely punish all those who devastate our sea, lakes, and rivers.
In the coming period, the Inspectorate for Fisheries, the Police Administration and the fisheries guard service will pay special attention to the issue of illegal fishing in the area of the municipalities of Nikšić, Danilovgrad, Tivat (Bigova), and Skadar Lake.
To strengthen the fisheries inspection capacity, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has conducted a procedure and procured a vessel equipped with modern technology for the monitoring of activities at sea, which will significantly help suppress illegal activities. At a cost of around 600 thousand euros, the procurement of the ship was made through the MIDAS 2 project that the Government of Montenegro is implementing with the World Bank.
The Ministry of Agriculture in June 2017 formed a working group whose members are representatives of all relevant state and scientific institutions. These include the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Interior Police, the Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor, National Parks, the Maritime Safety Administration, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Higher State Prosecutor's Office, the Harbor Master's Office, the PE Marine Estate, and representatives of the civil sector. Particularly successful cooperation was achieved with the Group of Citizens STOP KRIVOLOVU and the NGO "Carp security team." Their representatives' selfless and tremendous support significantly contributed to combating illegal fishing and preserving and protecting our sea.
We take this opportunity to appeal to all members of the public, sport fishermen, divers, and commercial fishermen to report possible illegal fishing activities. This will help the competent institutions react on time because only together can we preserve our natural resources, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
