Recreational and sport freshwater fishing in Montenegro is regulated, like sea fishing, by several documents. In case of freshwater fishing, currently there are two basic documents.
The first document, which was changed and promulgated in 2018, that is, it was updated recently, is Freshwater Fishing and Aquaculture Act, dated March 16, 2018 (Zakon o slatkovodnom ribarstvu i akvakulturi, broj: 01-290/2, od 16.03.2018. god.). In addition to the main provisions, the rules of recreational and sport fishing, the document regulates commercial fishing, governs the principles of breeding freshwater organisms and much more. The text is more than comprehensive, that’s why, adriaticnature specifies the excerpts from the document concerning the basic principles of regulating activities on the freshwater bodies, and the ones that may deal with and deal with recreational and sport fishing.
The second document, which regulates recreational and sport fishing and had to be updated long ago, is Order on Prohibitions and Restrictions on Fishing and Protective Measures of Fish Fund, dated May 27, 2016 (Naredba o ribolovnim zabranama, ograničenjima i mjerama za zaštitu ribljeg fonda”, broj 33/2016, od 27.5.2016. god.). adriaticnature posts the translation of the Order partly, providing basic information, but as soon as its new version is issued, it will be immediately announced on the resource pages.
(Screenshot of the page of the government information site Službeni list Crne Gore. sluzbenilist.me)
Freshwater Fishing and Aquaculture Act, dated March 16, 2018 (Zakon o slatkovodnom ribarstvu i akvakulturi, broj: 01-290/2, od 16.03.2018. god.)
Fishing waters
Article 5
Fishing waters are the waters of rivers, river tributaries, natural and artificial lakes, ponds, channels, streams, reservoirs and other water bodies, which are inhabited by fish and other aquatic organisms and were assigned to the usage in sport and recreational fishing, except for:
1) breeding places for fish and other freshwater inhabitants;
2) water bodies, lakes or flowing waters, which are used or prepared to be used in public water supply, according to planning documents.
The rivers that flow into the sea cease to be fishing waters in the place, where the water becomes constantly salty.
The places, where the water is constantly salty, shall be clearly marked.
The markers indicated in paragraph 3 of this article shall be established on sites by the state administrative bodies in charge of fishing (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry).
The Ministry makes decisions on the method for marking out the places, where the water becomes constantly salty.
Fishing zones
Article 6
Commercial fishing zones are marked out in fishing waters.
The fishing zones indicated in paragraph 1 of this article and their boundaries are determined by the Ministry.
Fishing areas
Article 7
Fishing areas are determined in fishing waters, in order to protect and preserve fish and other aquatic organisms and develop sport and recreational fishing.
The fishing areas specified in paragraph 1 of this article, their boundaries and the fishing gear and equipment permitted to be used in them shall be determined by the Ministry.
The boundaries of fishing areas are determined by associations, entrepreneurs or sports and fishing clubs that are entitled to use fish and other aquatic organisms in fishing waters for the purpose of sport and recreational fishing.
The method for marking out the fishing areas is determined by the Ministry.
Landscape protection areas
Article 8
In fishing waters, which are located beyond the boundaries of landscape protection areas, at the request of a legal entity that manages landscape protection areas (hereinafter referred to as the protected environmental zone manager), fishing waters, fishing zones or fishing areas are determined by the Ministry.
Article 19
In order to protect and preserve fish and other aquatic organisms in fishing waters, fishing zones and fishing areas, it is prohibited:
3) to catch fish using spears, trebles (gaffing), or in ways that harm reproduction, as well as using the means that decimate fish and other aquatic organisms;
4) to catch fish and other aquatic organisms using firearms, electric equipment, explosives, spearguns, as well as chase fish by hand, throwing stones, oars or blocking the water body;
5) to store or move spearguns near the shore of the water bodies and store them on the floating crafts;
6) to fish in breeding places of fish or other aquatic organisms (farms), reservoirs, lakes or flowing water, which are used or prepared to be used in public water supply, according to planning documents;
7) to block fishing waters by permanent or temporary barriers or structures that prevent the free passage of fish and other aquatic organisms;
8) to set up devices for catching fish and other aquatic organisms in passage gaps, dams and similar constructions;
14) to catch fish and other aquatic organisms smaller than the minimum established size;
16) to catch fish and other aquatic organisms in the amount of more than the maximum permissible daily or annual established rate;
17) to catch fish and other aquatic organisms in fishing water bodies or their areas, where fishing is banned;
18) to catch fish and other aquatic organisms, when their catching is banned;
19) to catch fish at night without a license for night fishing – common carp fishing at night;
20) to catch fish and other aquatic organisms at a distance of less than 50 meters from the dam;
24) to fish in fishing waters using a speargun and other devices for underwater fishing with and without the use of diving equipment;
26) to catch, take, buy, sell, store, transport and arrange the sale of fish and other aquatic organisms that are recognized to be protected species;
28) to carry out commercial fishing in fishing waters that have not been classified as fishing zones;
29) to carry out commercial fishing using fishing gear and equipment that are not specified in the license, do not have proper marking and specifications of which do not comply with this Act;
30) to carry out sport and recreational fishing using fishing gear and equipment that are not specified in the license, and specifications of which do not comply with this Act;
38) to fish at a distance of less than 100 meters and come closer than 50 meters to the breeding places of fish or other aquatic organisms (farms);
39) to put up for sale fish and other aquatic organisms that are subject to the fishing ban on the expiry of 24 hours from the date of ban proclamation;
40) to put up for sale fish and other aquatic organisms without documents concerning the origin of fish and other aquatic organisms;
41) put up for sale fish and other aquatic organisms obtained using firearms, spears, trebles (gaffing), explosives, electric equipment or spearguns.
Sport and recreational fishing
Article 41
Only persons who are licensed to engage in sport and recreational fishing have the right to be engaged in sport and recreational fishing.
Persons specified in paragraph 1 of this article have the right to access the fishing place by land adjacent to fishing waters, with the width required for fishing.
The type, specifications, amount of fishing gear and equipment that can be used for sport and recreational fishing is determined by the Ministry.
Ways of sport and recreational fishing
Article 42
Individuals shall have the license for sport and recreational fishing, when carrying out sport and recreational fishing.
The license specified in paragraph 1 of this article may be used only by the person, to whom the license was issued.
Fishing gear and equipment that are not listed in the license for sport and recreational fishing shall not be stored on the floating crafts, piers and coasts of the water bodies, when carrying out sport and recreational fishing.
Sport and recreational fishing can be carried out only with the use of fishing gear and equipment meeting the requirements established by this Act.
Persons engaged in sport and recreational fishing are prohibited from selling fish and other aquatic organisms from their catch.
Fish caught in the process of sport and recreational fishing in fishing waters, which the fisherman is going to take as a catch, shall be immediately marked after catching by cutting the tail fin.
License for sport and recreational fishing
Article 43
Types of licenses issued for sport and recreational fishing during the year:
1) daily;
2) monthly;
3) year-round;
4) for a specific area of the water body (revirska dozvola);
5) for carp (common carp) fishing at night.
The original document see the link: Here
Order on Prohibitions and Restrictions on Fishing and Protective Measures of Fish Fund, dated May 27, 2016 (Naredba o ribolovnim zabranama, ograničenjima i mjerama za zaštitu ribljeg fonda”, broj 33/2016, od 27.5.2016. god.)
- Lake Skadar (Skadarsko jezero), Crnojevića River (rijeka Crnojevića), Morača River (rijeka Morača) from the place called Adžovića vrba to its mouth, Lake Šas (Šasko jezero), Bojana River (rijeka Bojana).
It is prohibited to catch the following fish species at the following time intervals:
– bleak alburnus scoranza (ukljeva) from March 15 to October 31;
– all species of trout (pastrmka) from November 1 to April 1;
– common nase (skobalj) from March 15 to June 1;
– other representatives of the Cyprinidae family (common carp (šaran, krap), chub (klen), rudd scardinius knezevici (lola), etc.) from March 15 to May 15;
– Atlantic and Mediterranean twait shad (kubla) from March 1 to June 1;
– European eel (jegulja) from September 1 to December 1.
Catching of the species mentioned above is carried out exclusively after approval of the national governing board (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry), in charge of freshwater fishing.
- Minimum size of fish permitted to be caught
- It is forbidden to catch fish, which is smaller than the established minimum size:
– bleak alburnus scoranza (ukljeva) – 12 cm.
– carp (šaran, krap) – 40 cm.
– all species of mullet (skakavica) – 25 cm.
– grayling (lipljen) – 30 cm.
– trout (pastrmka): riverine brown trout (potočarka), rainbow trout (kalifornijska), as well as Arctic char (zlatovčica) – 25 cm.
– brown trout (jezerska pastrmka) and zubatak trout (strun) – 30 cm.
– marble trout (glavatica) – 70 cm.
– Danube salmon (taimen) (mladica) – 80 cm.
– burbot (manić) – 40 cm.
– northern pike (štuka) – 60 cm.
The length of the fish is measured from the top of the head to the end of the tail fin.
In all the water bodies of the communities of Plav (opština Plav) and Gusinje (opština Gusinje), the minimum size of Black Sea salmon (blatnjača), which is permitted to be caught, is 50 cm.
- The caught fish, which is smaller than the minimum established size, shall be immediately released.
III. Restrictions on fishing gear, equipment and fishing at night.
- Sport and recreational fishing in fishing zones using no more than two fishing rods, equipped with no more than three hooks each, is permitted.
Sport and recreational fishing in fishing waters using one rod, equipped with no more than three hooks, is permitted.
Fishing with other gear and equipment is not considered to be sport and recreational fishing.
On Lake Plav (Plavsko jezero), sport and recreational fishing using spinning rod, equipped with one artificial lure and a fly-fishing set with one dry-fly, is permitted.
Float fishing on the Ljuča River (Ljuča) is prohibited.
- Sport and recreational fishing at night is prohibited:
– in spring and autumn – from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.;
– in summer – from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.;
– in winter – from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Restrictions on the use of lures and catch limits.
- Catching Danube salmon (taimen) (mladica), grayling (lipljan), Arctic char (zlatovčica) and all kinds of trout (pastrmka) using natural lures (worms, grasshoppers, frogs, slimy sculpins, common minnows, common bleaks, fish eggs, etc.) is prohibited.
It is forbidden to catch the Cuprinidae species (chub (klen), nase (skobalj), sunbleak (bjelica), roach (plotica)) in all water bodies of the communities of Plav (opština Plav) and Gusinje (opština Gusinje).
Catching the fish listed in the first paragraph of this clause is permitted only in case of using imitation flies and artificial spinning lures.
On extraordinary occasions, the third paragraph of this clause prohibits the use of “Tyrolean wand” when fishing with imitation flies.
- Some fish species can be caught only in limited quantities.
Maximum number of fish permitted to be caught per catch per day:
– one Danube salmon (taimen) (mladica);
– five salmo dentex (strun) in the Morača River (rijeka Morača);
– five brown trout (jezerska pastrmka) in Lake Crno (Crno jezero), Lake Biogradsko (Biogradsko jezero) and Lake Pešića (Pešića jezero).
– two Black Sea salmon (blatnjača), three grayling (lipljan), three riverine brown trout (potočna pastrmka), six representatives of the Cyprinidae family in all water bodies of the communities of Plav (opština Plav) and Gusinje (opština Gusinje);
– two riverine brown trout (potočna pastrmka) and two grayling (lipljen) in the community of Kolasin (opština Kolašin).
– four riverine brown trout (potočna pastrmka), four grayling (lipljen) and one Danube salmon (taimen) (mladica) in the community of Bijelo Pole (opština Bijelo Pole).
– six grayling (lipljan) or trout of other species (pastrmka);
– three burbot (manić).
In case of catching various species of fish listed in the first part of this clause, the permitted maximum daily catch is five specimens of these fish species.
The original document see the link: Here