On the basis of Article 38 item 1 of the Law on Marine Fisheries (Official Journal of the Republic of Montenegro No. 55/2003), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management has issued the
D E C R E E
ON PROHIBITION OF CATCH AND TRADE IN FISH JUVENILES, UNDERSIZED FISH AND OTHER MARINE ORGANISMS
(Published in the Official Journal of the Republic of Montenegro No. 10/2004)
- It is prohibited to catch and trade fish juveniles, undersized fish and other undersized marine organisms.
- The term undersized fish and other undersized marine organisms implies not fully grown fish, crustaceans, shellfish and sponges of commercial importance, when size in some species is below the size laid down by this Decree as follows:
For fish:
Pagellus erythrinus15 cm
Pagellus acarne15 cm
Uranoscopus scaber16 cm
Boops Boops15 cm
Liza ramada30 cm
Mugil cephalus40 cm
Liza saliens28 cm
Chelon labrosus35 cm
Liza aurata28 cm
Chromis chromis 8 cm
Diplodus vulgaris15 cm
Atherina hepsetus 8 cm
Atherina boyeri 6 cm
Spicara smaris12 cm
Spicara flexuosa12 cm
Gobius cobitis13 cm
Zosterisessor ophiocephalus11 cm
Seriola dumerili80 cm
Lophius piscatorius 30 cm
Lophius budegassa30 cm
Tetrapturus belone 120 cm
Engraulis encrasicolus 11 cm
Platichthys flessus luscus25 cm
Anguilla anguilla30 cm
Spondyliosoma cantharus25 cm
Serranus cabrilla16 cm
Sciaena umbra30 cm
Epinephelus marginatus60 cm
Trigloporus lastoviza24 cm
Sparus aurata20 cm
Zeus faber25 cm
Solea vulgaris25 cm
Scomber japonicus25 cm
Dicentrarchus labrax25 cm
Spicara maena14 cm
Merluccius merluccius20 cm
Lithognathus mormyrus18 cm
Pagrus pagrus 36 cm
Sarda sarda45 cm
Mustelus mustelus75 cm
Sljualus acanthias65 cm
Mustelus punculatus60 cm
Diplodus puntazzo22 cm
Merlangius merlangius euxinus12 cm
Serranus scriba15 cm
Raja clavata73 cm
Raja miraletus37 cm
Xiphias gladius 120 cm
Salpa salpa25 cm
Scomber scombrus20 cm
Labrus bimaculatus18 cm
Sardina pilchardus sardina12 cm
Diplodus sargus sargus21 cm
Scorpaena scrofa25 cm
Scorpaena porcus14 cm
Trachurus trachurus20 cm
Trachurus mediterraneus20 cm
Diplodus annularis10 cm
Mullus surmeletus11 cm
Mullus barbatus11 cm
Auxis rochei32 cm
Thunnus thynnus70cm/6.4 kg
Conger conger40 cm
Oblada melanura17 cm
Labrus merula22 cm
Dentex dentex30 cm
For crustaceans (Crustacea)
Homarus gammarus28 cm
Palinurus elaphas28 cm
Maja sljuinado10 cm
Nephrops norvegicus10 cm
Penaeus kerathturus10 cm
Parapenaeus lingirostris 9 cm
For cephalopods (Cephalopoda):
Sepia officinalis12 cm
Octopus vulgaris 1 kg
Eledone moschata0.2 kg
For shellfish (Bivalvia)
Mytilus galloprovincialis5 cm
Pecten jacobaeus9 cm
Ostrea edulis6 cm
Venus gallina2.5 cm
Ruditapes decussatus2.5 cm
Arca noae5 cm
Venus verrucosa3 cm
For other shellfish2 cm
For sponges (Spongia)
Spongia officinalis adriatica10 cm
For sea cucumber
Holothuria spp.14 cm
- Fish are measured by length from the top of the head to the end of the tailfin. Thunnus thynnus is measured from the tip of the nose till the shortest length of the tailfin, while Xiphias gladius is measured from the top of the lower jaw till the shortest length of the tailfin.
Crustaceans are measured from the eye till the top of the stretched tail. Female crustaceans laying eggs must be returned into water immediately, regardless of their length.
Cephalopods with ten arms (squids and Sepia officinalis) are measured from the top of the top of the cranial side of the dorsal part of the body till the end of the dorsal part of the body. Cephalopods with eight arms (octopus and eledone moschata) are measured only by weight.
Bivalve molluscs and sponges are measured by their greatest length and diameter, respectively.
Sea cucumbers are measured strengthened from the most prominent part of the front end till the most prominent part of the back end.
- In case that in certain fishing area the catch of undersized fish and other marine organisms in fishing operations with bottom and floating trawls, shore seines or tow nets in one towing is more than 50 per cent of the total catch weight, then fishing in that area should stop.
- Catch of undersized fish and other undersized marine organisms can be up to 20 per cent of the total weight of the catch.
- It is prohibited to catch, and in case they are caught accidentally, marine mammals (whales, dolphins, seals, etc.) sea birds and sea turtles must be returned into the sea.
- Companies, entrepreneurs and natural persons catching fish juveniles, undersized fish or other undersized marine organisms, shall be penalized in compliance with the Article 55 item 3 of the Law on Marine Fisheries, while for catching marine mammals, birds and sea turtles they will be penalized in compliance with the Article 55 item 3, with exception of catch laid down by the Article 37 paragraph 3.
- The day this Decree enters into force the Decree on prohibition of catch and trade in fish juveniles, undersized fish and other marine animals (Official Journal of the Republic of Montenegro, No. 53/92) shall be repealed.
- This Decree shall enter into force on the eighth day from the day of its publishing in the Official Journal of the Republic of Montenegro.
No. 325/04-0506-07/02
Podgorica, February 10, 2004
Minister, Milutin Simovic, manu propria