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The basic fisheries legislation in Montenegro is the 2009 Law on Marine Fisheries and Mariculture (Official Gazette (OG) of Montenegro 56/09; hereinafter LMFM), which is implemented by a number of regulations. The LMFM lays down the principles for sustainable management of living marine resources and of the marine environment. It introduces measures for biodiversity and environmental protection and establishes procedures for the development and adoption of management plans in the fishery sector.
As stipulated in the LMFM, the general fishery policy is defined by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Strategy of Montenegro (2006-2016) and implemented in accordance with the National Fisheries Development Programme (2009-2013). The policy provides support for the development of the fishery sector and identifies the respective responsibilities of the administrative authorities as regards its implementation. The main authority in charge of fisheries matters is the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
National and foreign companies and entrepreneurs, or other legal and natural persons, may engage in marine fisheries in accordance with the provisions of the Law (Article 3, LMFM).

Principle

Commercial fishing is the catch of economically significant species of fish and other marine organisms with permitted tools and gear for the purpose of marketing. Commercial fishing is subject to the terms and conditions established in accordance with the Law, including payment of a fee.
Companies and entrepreneurs may engage in commercial fishing provided that they are members of the Central Register of the Commercial Court and of the Register of Professional Fishermen, and that they hold a permit for commercial fishing, issued by the fisheries administration authority (hereinafter “fisheries administration”).
The terms and conditions for commercial fishing, the fishing tools and gear, the fishing period and the procedure for issuing fishing permits are established by secondary legislation adopted in 2011 (OG of Montenegro No. 08/11).
The distinction between large- and small-scale commercial fishing is based on the criteria referred to in Article 46, LMFM: fishing capacity and significance of the fishery. Fishing capacity is defined according to the horsepower of the engine, gross capacity and type of the fishing vessel, size and number of nets and angles, number and intensity of lamps, equipment, etc. The significance of a given commercial fishery is defined according to the species and to the commercial value of the fish and other marine organisms.
Large-scale commercial fishing is carried out by vessels longer than 12 m overall, with the following fishing tools and gear (Article 49, LMFM):

1. bottom tow nets – trawls;

2. pelagic (floating) trawls;

3. purse seines – plivarice;

4. shore seines;

5. beach seines;

6. set nets;

7. fish traps;

8. harpoons with and without the use of artificial light;

9. long-lines and other hooks;

10. scampi traps (Nephrops norvegicus);

11. traps for big crustaceans, and

12. tramata nets, as well as nets for catching shellfish and other marine organisms.

Small-scale commercial fishing is carried out by vessels shorter than 12 m overall, with the following fishing tools and equipment (Article 50, LMFM):

1. set nets;

2. fish - traps for catching fish;

3. harpoons with and without the use of artificial light;

4. long-lines and other hooks;

5. shore seines – kogola;

6. kalimera and hand dredge – grib, as well as collecting of shells and other marine organisms.

The purpose, technical characteristics and quantity of fishing tools and gear allowed for use in large- and small-scale commercial fishing are defined by secondary legislation.

Prerequisites to application

In order to obtain a fishing permit, applicants must be registered in the Register of Professional Fishermen (Article 52, LMFM).
The application for registration shall be accompanied by documentation proving the following:

1. that the applicant is the owner of the fishing vessel or a user of such vessel based on an agreement of lease for the period for which the commercial fishing permit is requested;

2. that the title of captain of the ship has been acquired in accordance with internationally recognized standards, and that of sailor-engineer in accordance with the Law;

3. the identity of persons employed on board the fishing vessel; and

4. that applicant is registered for commercial fishing in the Central Register of the Commercial Court.

Application

The permit for commercial fishing shall be issued by the fisheries administration based on a public notice published in at least one printed media distributed throughout Montenegro (Article 53, LMFM).
The application for a commercial fishing permit shall contain:

1. the name and location of the company, or the name and surname of the entrepreneur, as appropriate, and the type of fishery for which the permit is requested;

2. the name and registration number of the fishing vessel or vessels if the nature of the fishery requires the use of more than one vessel; and

3. the type, technical characteristics and number of fishing tools and gear required for the type of fishery.

The application shall be accompanied by the following documentation:

1. evidence that the applicant is registered in the Register of Professional Fishermen;

2. ii. approval from the Institute of Marine Biology (IMB) for technical and technological characteristics of fishing tools and gear mentioned in the application for commercial fishing; and

3. a certificate from the Register of the regional Port Master’s Office, a copy of the registration list for the fishing boat issued by the Port Master’s Office or a certificate of the status of entry in the Fishing Fleet Register, that reflects the granting of a permit for commercial fishing.

Issuance

The permit for commercial fishing is issued separately for each fishing vessel and shall contain (Article 54, LMFM):

1. the name of the company, or the name and surname of the entrepreneur, as appropriate, to whom the commercial fishing permit is granted;

2. the name (registration mark) of the vessel or vessels, if the type of the commercial fishing requires using more than one fishing vessel;

3. the fishing area where commercial fishing is permitted;

4. the purpose, type, technical characteristics and number of fishing tools and gear that may be used for commercial fishing;

5. the identification of the fishing vessel and the power of the engine; and

6. the amount of the fee to be paid.

The permit may also contain:

1. a period of closed season for commercial fishing;

2. the type and quantity of fish that may be caught;

3. the authorized fishing methods; and

4. the terms and conditions of landing and loading, and the place of first landing.

The fishing permit has a duration of 5 years.
When issuing permits, priority shall be given, under equal conditions, to existing commercial fishing permit holders. Any change in the company, the vessel or the fishing gear must be registred in Fishing Fleet Register, the new owner or the lessee of the vessel shall be granted a new permit for commercial fishing (Article 55, LMFM).

The fishing permit is issued upon payment of the fee for commercial fishing established by the Government, following the proposal of the MARD.

License fees

Companies, entrepreneurs and other natural persons wishing to carry out commercial fishing in Montenegrin waters, and complying with the relevant legal requirements, shall pay an established fee (2011 Decision on amount of the individual fee for commercial fishing and mariculture, OG of Montenegro No. 08/11).

Permit holders shall pay the fee in a single amount, based on the fishing capacity and significance of the commercial fishery, in relation with the power of the engine (3 EUR per kW) and the type of fishing gear, according to the following table:

Sport-recreational fishing may be practiced by natural persons holding a permit for sport-recreational fishing (Article 59, LMFM). The form of the permit for sport-recreational fishing shall be distributed by the fisheries administration to the Sport Fishing Association for the fishing sea of Montenegro (i.e. waters under national jurisdiction). The permit for sport-recreational fishing shall be issued by sport-recreational clubs that are members of the Sport Fishing Association.

The Sport Fishing Association shall submit to the fisheries administration a report on the number of permits issued every six months. The permit for sport-recreational fishing may only be used by the person to whom the permit was granted. The holder of sport-recreational fishing permit must carry the permit at any time when performing sport-recreational fishing activities. The form and the method of distribution of the forms for sport-recreational fishing permits are established by secondary legislation (OG of Montenegro No. 34/10).

The permit for sport-recreational fishing may be permanent (i.e. annual) or temporary (for a shorter period). The permanent permit for sport-recreational fishing shall be issued for the current calendar year, and the temporary permit shall be issued for a period not exceeding 30 days. The temporary permit for sport-recreational fishing may be granted to foreigners (Article 60, LMFM).

A holder of the permit for sport-recreational fishing must not sell the fish caught (Article 62, LMFM).

According to Article 40, LMFM, fishing activities may have commercial, sport-recreational or scientific-research purposes. Fishing for scientific-research purposes is regulated under Articles 24 and 95 of the Law.
In the area of the Bay of Boka Kotorska fishing with the following means shall be prohibited:

1. bottom trawls;

2. floating trawls; and

3. encircling large-scale fishing nets.

However, provided that it is necessary for the implementation of research programmes approved by the Ministry, institutions engaged in scientific and research activities in the field of marine fisheries may be allowed to fish with such means, subject to a permit issued by the fisheries administration (Article 24, LMFM).
Foreign fishing vessels operating outside the framework of an international agreement on fisheries may engage in fishing in the fishing sea of Montenegro only for scientific-research purposes. Such activity may only be performed in accordance with an approved scientific-research project of national interest and with the permission of the fisheries administration (Article 95(3), LMFM).

Under the LMFM, national waters are identified with the term fishery sea of Montenegro, which includes the marine and submarine area of internal seawaters, the territorial sea and the epi-continental area of Montenegro. The fishery sea also includes the exclusive economic zone in accordance with the Law. The boundary of the fishery sea in the rivers flowing into the sea shall be considered to be the boundary line where such water ceases to be stably saline (Article 2, LMFM). In addition, according to Article 4, LMFM:

10) coastal waters are rivers, waters of a channel, a bay or an estuary, transitional waters and “costal waters” as defined under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea:

1. rivers means a body of inland water flowing for the most part on the surface of the land or underground for part of its course;

2. transitional waters means bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths, which are partly saline in character as a result of their proximity to coastal waters, but which are substantially influenced by freshwater flows;

3. surface water on the landward side of a line means water every point of which is at a distance of one nautical mile on the seaward side from the nearest point of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured, extending where appropriate up to the outer limit of transitional waters.

Concerning aquatic species, Article 4, LMFM, states the following:

22) fish and other marine organism means a marine animal or a plant and includes any mussels or other molluscs, crustacean, coral, sponge, sea-urchin or their echinoderm, turtle and marine mammal, their eggs, spawn, spat and juvenile stages;

52) living marine resources means available and living species of fish and other marine organisms, including anadromous and catadromous species during their marine life.
With regard to fishing, the LMFM contains several definitions. Article 40 of the Law defines marine fishing as the activity of catching and collecting fish and other marine organisms.

Moreover, Article 4, LMFM, contains the following definitions:

28) fishing means activities related to preparation, searching for, catching, treatment and dispatching of fish caught;

58) collecting means the process of collecting marine organisms without the use of fishing gear;

29) fishing tools means instrument used for fishing;

30) fishing gear means instrument that enables the use of fishing tools;

31) fisheries sector means the sector of the economy, including all activities of catching, treatment and marketing of fish and fish and aquaculture products;

32) fishing means a group of activities related to management of living marine resources, including activities related to:

1. fish species and description;

2. fishing area;

3. fishing method;

4. type of fishing vessel;

Marine fishing may have commercial, sport-recreational or scientific-research purposes (Article 40, LMFM).

Commercial fishing is the catch of economically significant species of fish and other marine organisms by using permitted tools and gear for the purpose of marketing (Article 44, LMFM). Large-scale commercial fishing is carried out by vessels longer than 12 m overall with the fishing tools and gear indicated under Article 49 of the Law. Small-scale commercial fishing is carried out by vessels shorter than 12 m overall, with the fishing tools and equipement indicated under Article 50 of the Law.

Under Article 4, LMFM:

36) sport-recreational fishing means fishing for sport or recreation.

The LMFM does not give a definition of scientific-research fishing.

Finally, fishing vessels are defined as follows under Article 4 of the Law:

26) fishing vessel is a boat, ship or other vessel equipped for fishing, including fishing gear, equipment or stores for fish;

33) foreign fishing vessel means a fishing vessel which is non Montenegrin-flagged;

55) third country fishing vessel means a fishing vessel registered in and flying the flag of another state outside the framework of a treaty in accordance with this law, and includes “receiving vessels” (in the context of transshipment operations) as defined by Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2847/93 of 12 October 1993 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy;

56) treaty fishing vessel means any fishing vessel belonging to a country or to a group of countries which is party to a treaty or convention or other form of international agreement ratified by Montenegro or any fishing vessel that has been declared as treaty fishing vessels by decision of a competent administrative authority.

Chapters II and III of the LMFM respectively deal with the management of living marine resources and with fisheries policy measures. The Law states that exploitation of living marine aquatic resources shall be consistent with sustainable economic, environmental and social development (Article 5, LMFM).

Sustainable development and exploitation of living marine aquatic resources shall be achieved through:

1. adoption of the precautionary principle in the implemention of measures for the protection and conservation of living marine resources while maintaining biological diversity;

2. reduction of the impact of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem;

3. implementation of an ecosystem approach in fisheries management;

4. proper and rational fishing efforts;

5. establishing the principles of development of responsible fishing activities;

6. obtaining the opinion of the IMB in the decision-making process of the competent authorities.

Fish and other marine organisms, as well as marine biodiversity, shall be protected from threats to their living environment and from overexploitation (Article 6, LMFM).

In order to protect biodiversity and its living environment, it is forbidden to: discharge or dispose of any kind of wastes that could affect the quality of the marine environment; introduce allochthonous or genetically modified species of fish or other marine organisms into the sea; engage in underwater activities in unauthorized locations; and fish, collecting and market protected species of fish and other marine organisms (Article 7, LMFM).

Management of living resources shall be implemented in accordance with the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Strategy of Montenegro, adopted by the Government of Montenegro for a period of 10 years. The Strategy lays down the long-term orientations, priorities and objectives of fisheries development, the financial means and deadlines for their implementation, as well as the obligations assumed under international agreements (Article 8, LMFM).

The fisheries policy, set by the Strategy, shall be implemented in accordance with the National Fisheries Development Programme, adopted by the Government for a period of 5 years. The Programme shall include: mid-term and short-term objectives of the fisheries development, types of measures and programmes, expected results, and provisional amounts and funding sources for the implementation of policy measures (Article 9, LMFM).

With a view to ensuring sustainable development, designated fisheries may be declared based on the species fished or on the concerned fishing areas, with the possibility of selecting an authority for managing the designated fisheries, in accordance with the Marine Fishery Management Plan, adopted for a period of 5 years (Article 10 and Article 11(2), LMFM).

The Marine Fishery Management Plan shall include, inter alia, a description of the fishery, the biological characteristics and conservation status of the fish stocks, objectives that should be fulfilled and technical measures to be implemented, including for the protection of fish stocks. The Plan may also include guidelines on discard management, the issuance of special fishing permits, necessary restrictions on fishing activities, etc. (Article 11, LMFM).

If there is evidence of a serious and unforseen threat to the living marine resources or to the marine ecosystem resulting from fishing activities, the fisheries administration shall undertake urgent measures to eliminate that threat. Such intervention measures normally have a three-month duration, unless the fisheries administration deems otherwise (Article 12, LMFM).

In 2009 and in 2011, Montenegro adopted an extensive set of measures regulating commercial fishing activities. These provisions deal, inter alia, with fishing methods and gear, technical features of vessels, fishing zones, fishing protected areas, closed seasons, and maximum number of licenses to be issued.

The MARD can set a fishing ban for certain species of fish and other marine organisms (closed season), prohibit the use certain types of fishing gear for commercial and recreational fishing, determine the basic construction-technical characteristics, methods of use, time and purpose of certain types of fishing gear and fishing tools for commercial and recreational fisheries, and determine the minimum legal catch size of fish and other marine organisms (Article 18, LMFM).

Companies, entrepreneurs and natural persons inflicting damage by illegal fishing shall compensate the damage done. Compensation for the damage done by illegal fishing is calculated in accordance with the Law (Article 23, LMFM).

a) Fishing effort and fishing capacity
Based on the advice from IMB and in order to ensure rational management and protection of economically important species of fish and other marine organisms, the MARD can limit the number, size and power of fishing vessels, type and number of fishing gears and fishing tools allowed in a specific area; set a fishing ban in a given area; limit the amount of catch per single fishery license; limit the number of licenses for a given type of fisheries. Permits to use certain locations for diver training and various sport and recreational activities on sea are issued by the relevant authorities (Article 20, LMFM).

b) Prohibited fishing zones
Fishing in the area of ports, their entrance and access way and places of anchorage is forbidden. Fishing is prohibited in swimming areas in the period 1 May – 1 October, from sunrise to sunset (Article 19, LMFM).

The MARD can prohibit fishing of certain species in a specific geographic area for a given time period in order to protect fish and other marine organisms, with measures to protect and improve the fisheries, based on the advice from the IMB (Article 17, LMFM).

The Rulebook on terms determining the line where freshwater becomes marine water in mouths of rivers and determining the boundaries of fishery prohibited zones (OG of Montenegro, 10/04) determines the boundary where fishery is prohibited in mouth of rivers in the Montenegrin coast (River Bojana and 8 small rivers).

c) Fishing gear
Fishing with bottom and pelagic trawls and purse seines of large-scale commercial fisheries is prohibited in the area of Boka Kotorska Bay, except for scientific research purposes (Article 24, LMFM).

For the protection of biodiversity in shallow littoral zones, fishing with bottom trawls and pelagic trawls is prohibited at a distance less than 3 nautical miles from the coast, or at the depth of 50 m, if the isobath of 50 m is located at a distance of less than 3 nautical miles.

Fishermens’ posts may be set up in the Bay of Boka Kotorska in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Article 27, LMFM.

The MARD shall establish, at the proposal of the IMB, technical characteristics of fish aggregating device, regulation of fishing in the area, marking and identification of the area and site for placing fish aggregating devices (Article 28, LMFM).

Rulebook on construction–technical basis, mesh size, method of use and purpose of certain net types and other means for commercial fishing (OG of Montenegro No. 8/11) lays down the basic construction-technical characteristics, method of use, time, purpose, quantity and type of fishing tools and gear that is permitted for use in large scale and small scale commercial fishing, as well as the marking of fishing tools and gear and the method of establishing the construction-technical characteristics of the fishing tools and gear.

The following fishing tools and gear may be used in commercial fishing:

• bottom trawls;

• pelagic (floating) trawls;

• entangling nets;

• beach seines;

• beach trawls;

• gillnets;

• traps for fish and other marine organisms;

• harpoons;

• long lines and other angling gear;

• tramata nets.

d) Fishing methods
It is prohibited to catch the fish and other marine organisms with explosives, chemicals or other means that kill, stun or poison, and collection and placing on the market of fish and other marine organisms caught by the means mentioned (Article 21, LMFM).

e) Minimum size and juveniles
The minimum size of fish and other marine organisms, including anadromous and catadromous species, below which catch and trade is prohibited shall be set by the Ministry. It is prohibited to catch, purchase, sale, storage, transport or retain on board fish and other marine organisms that are smaller than the minimum landing size. As an exception to this provision, the fisheries administration can, at the proposal of the IMB and for the purpose of breeding, restocking and research, allow the catch of juveniles, reproductively immature fish and other marine organisms in certain locations at certain times and the use of certain fishing gears (Article 16, LMFM).

The Order on prohibition of catch and trade in fish juveniles, undersized fish and other marine organisms (OG of Montenegro No. 8/11) prohibits to catch and trade juveniles, undersized fish and other undersized marine organisms and determines the rules for the measurement of fish and other marine organisms.
Catch of sardines and anchovy of less than 6 cm in length is prohibited in the Bay of Boka Kotorska. Females of lobster, spiny lobster, Norway lobster with external eggs and spiny spider crab (Maja squinado) with darkened external eggs shall be returned into the sea immediately after catch, regardless of their size.

Fishing activities should be interrupted in any area if the catch of undersized fish and other marine organisms in fishing operations with bottom and floating trawls, seines or tow nets in one towing is more than 50 percent of the total catch.
Catch of undersized fish and other undersized marine organisms can be up to 20 percent of the total catch.
 

f) Protected species
The Government may, at the proposal of the MARD and based on prior approval of the Ministry in charge of environmental protection, declare certain species of fish and other marine organisms as protected species. It is prohibited to catch, take, receive, purchase, sell, store, transport and retain on board any kind of protected species (Article 15, LMFM).

Catching, marketing or exporting of date-shell (Litophaga litophaga) in the entire Montenegrin territory is forbidden, in order to provide the protection of the rocky coast as a special habitat (Article 26, LMFM).

It is prohibited to catch marine mammals (whales, dolphins, seals, etc.) sea birds and sea turtles and in case they are caught accidentally, they must be returned into the sea.

The Resolution on protection on certain plant and animal species (OG of Montenegro No. 76/06) forbids to remove from their habitat, damage or destroy, hunt, disturb, catch or kill any of the plant and animal species listed, as well as their developmental stages, lairs and nests; their habitats are not to be damaged or destroyed:

• Plants: Posidonia oceanica;

• Corals: Madrepora oculata, Cladocora caespitosa, Antipathes subpinata, Corralium rubrum, Eunicella cavolinii, E. stricta, Gerardia savaglia;

• Mollusks: Lithophaga lithophaga, Pinna nobilis, Luria lurida, Mitra zonata, Tonna galea;

• Fish: Acipenser naccarii, A. sturio, Cetorhinu smaximus, Carcharodon carcharias, Mobula mobular, Hippocampus hippocampus, H. guttulatus, Mola mola, Pomatoschists tortonesei;

• Sea turtles: Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas;

• Mammals: Delphinus delphis, Stenella caeruleoalba, Stenella frontalis, Tursiops truncatus, Grampus griseus, Monachus monachus, Balaenoptera physalus.

g) Protected areas
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) can establish protected fishing areas suitable for natural reproduction and feeding of juvenile fish and other marine organisms in order to ensure their protection. The exact limits of such areas, as well as any protection and development measures will be determined by the MARD in special by-laws, based on the advice from the IMB (Article 13, LMFM).

Article 14 of the Law states that the following activities are prohibited in fishing protected areas:

• perform or attempt to perform any fishing activity;

• take or destroy any flora or fauna;

• place or exploit sand or gravel, leave or dispose of any kind of waste or polluting materials or disturb, change or destroy the environment in any way;

• build or place structures on the ground or over water surfaces;

• perform any kind of activities that may adversely affect the ecosystem of the protected area.

Special fishing licences can be issued for purposes of reproduction, farming, re-stocking and migration of certain species of fish and other marine organisms. The MARD will regulate such activities (including the period when they are permitted, fishing gear allowed, etc) through special by-laws. Although Article 4(43), LMFM, defines Marine Protected Areas (MPA) as any area littoral system, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, protected in accordance with the Law, the Law itself does not regulate them. Provisions on MPAs are generally found in environmental legislation (e.g. the 2008 Law on Nature Protection and Environment). There are currently no MPAs in Montenegro; however a pilot study was conducted during 18 months program (July 2009 – December 2010) for the establishment of the Katic MPA, that would cover a coastal stretch of approximately 10 km between the municipalities of Budva and Bar. A Management Plan would then define the MPA development strategies. By 2015, the Katic MPA should be set up and considered as an operational model for the development of a national system of MPAs in Montenegro.

According to the Rulebook on sport and recreational fishery at sea (OG of Montenegro No. 34/10), it is allowed to catch 3 kg of fish or other marine organism (except Chondrichthyes), or one fish of 5 kg (except on competitions).

Fishing tools allowed in sport and recreational fishery at sea:

1. Fishing lines, maximum 2 pieces with maximum 3 hooks on each line; hook width no less than 7 mm;

2. Fishing lines for Cephalopods, maximum 2 pieces with or without use of light of 400 cd power;

3. Rods, maximum 2 pieces with maximum 3 hooks on each rod;

4. Underwater gun without explosive charge;

5. One harpoon;

6. Harpoon with or without use of light of 400 cd power, with vessel without engine and opaque bottom;

7. One trap;

8. Fixed (bottom) long lines, maximum 50 hooks.

The method, the type and the number of fishing tools and gear which is permitted for use in sport-recreational fishing, the form and the content of the permit for sport-recreational fishing shall be laid down by the Ministry (Article 66, LMFM).
It is prohibited to use divers’ apparatus or similar devices that enable the diver to breathe under the water with underwater gun in commercial or sport-recreational fishing (Article 22, LMFM). 

a) Fleet register

In accordance with the 1978 Law on Maritime and Inland Navigation, as amended (OG of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro Nos. 19/78, 8/79, 19/87, 22/90 and 13/91), any vessel, including fishing vessels, operating in Montenegrin waters shall be entered in the Register of the regional Port Master’s Office. The entry in the Register is subject to compliance with a number of requirements and to determination of seaworthiness. Vessels may not be entered in the Register in case they appear in the register of another Port Master’s Office or in the register of a foreign country.
In addition to the register kept by the competent Port Master’s Office, the MARD, in accordance with the 2009 Law on Marine Fisheries and Mariculture, enters the fishing vessels into the Fishing Fleet Register, on the basis of the previously obtained permit for commercial fishing. The contents and maintenance of the Fleet Register are regulated by the Rulebook on the Register of Fishing Vessels (OG of Montenegro No. 8/11).
The following data are recorded in the Fishing Fleet Register: basic data on the vessel, data on the construction of the vessel, data on the tonnage of the vessel, data on the vessel’s dimensions, data on communication equipment, data on the vessel owner, data on the permit for commercial fishing, data on fishing fleet segments, data on auxiliary equipment, data on propulsion and auxiliary engines and history of all alterations made on the vessel.
The Fishing Fleet Register is an integral part of the Fisheries Information System (FIS) of Montenegro (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Structure of the Fisheries Information System of Montenegro

The following have been developed so far within the FIS: Fishing Fleet Register, Logbook for vessels over 10 m length overall, Report on catches for vessels up to 10 m length overall, Register on Permits, Common Alarm System, User Management System, Electronic Reporting for GFCM and System for Satellite Vessel Monitoring for vessels over 10 m length overall.

b) Data collection
In Montenegro, data are currently collected through tree institutions:

A. Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT)

MONSTAT is responsible for the collection, processing and dissemination of statistical data, including data on fisheries statistics that are collected by the Department for Agricultural Statistics through four statistical surveys:

1. Monthly report on marine fisheries – collecting data on catch of fish by species and/ or group of organisms. Data on catches of marine fishes for individual (professional) fishermen are reported based on the assessment of MONSTAT Professional Services in the municipalities in which individual (professional) fisherman are residents. Professional Service assess the catch of individual fishermen based on: records of trading and processing companies which purchase fish from individual fishermen; information on the fishery tools and equipment (type and number of nets, hooks, traps, etc.); time of appearance of fish species in a given fishery area; concerned fishing area. Reports based on the assessment method often do not cover the full range of information required, due to the lack of records or the inadequacy of existing records. For companies and fishermen cooperatives (more precisely, for one fishing cooperative), information is obtained through the reporting method, and reports are filled from the accounting records of companies engaged in fishing as a primary or secondary activity.

2. Annual report on fishermen and fishing tools in marine fisheries - data are collected from the IMB through the reporting method. Through this survey, data are collected on persons employed (full-time and part-time employees), on the number and capacity of fishing vessels and boats, as well as on fishing tools.

3. Annual report of fish farming contains information on personnel (full-time and part-time employees), information on fish ponds (fish farm surface, fish fry production, consumable fish production in trout ponds and food consumption). Data are obtained through the reporting method from fish farm owners. In Montenegro there are two marine fish farms (sea bass and sea bream). They are currently not included in the MONSTAT statistical survey for data collection, but they will be introduced in near future.

4. Annual report on fishing in rivers and lakes.

B. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)

Through logbooks and monthly reports, the MARD collects data on landing for each vessel, number of fishing days, and other data from the logbook, which is compliant with the EU logbook format (Figure 2). According to the Rulebook on the form and contents of fishing log books, declaration on landings, report on catch and deadline for submitting the reports on total catch and landings and method of notification and keeping records on transhipping of fish and other marine organisms (OG of Montenegro No. 8/11) the holders of permits for commercial fishing with a fishing vessel of 10 meters length overall and above shall keep the logbook and present a copy of the logbook page together with the landing declaration to a fisheries inspector within 48 hours from the moment of landing. Holders of permits for commercial fishing with a fishing vessel up to 10 m length overall shall present the monthly report on total catch and landing of catch to a fisheries inspector no later than the 15th day of the month for the previous month.
The MARD Fishery Information System (FIS) and the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for vessels over 10 meters length overall were established and implemented through the EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) 2009 Project on Sustainable Management of Marine Fishery. One of the FIS subsystems is the Logbook System with landing declarations and monthly reports, which is compliant with the EU fisheries logbook format.
The MARD keeps data on vessels (number and characteristics), number of licenses, number and type of fishery tools for each fishing permit. These data are stored in the FIS.

Figure 2. Example of a fishing logbook in Montenegro

C. Institute of Marine Biology (IMB), Kotor

The IMB conducts surveys at sea for biomass estimation of demersal and pelagic resources (MEDITS and MEDIAS Project; participation of Montenegro supported by FAO AdriaMed).
Biological data (total length, total weight, maturity stage, age) for commercially important species (Merluccius merluccius, Mullus barbatus, Sardina pilchardus¸ Engraulis encrasicoluis¸ Boops boops¸ Lophius budegassa¸ Pagellus erythrinus¸ Parapenaeus longirostris¸ Melicertus kerathurus, Loligo vulgaris, Illex coindetii, Sepia officinalis) are collected through FAO AdriaMed Project - Study of the monitoring of fisheries sector in Montenegro, applying the Operational Unit (OU) concept of biological sampling.

In the framework of IPA 2009 Project on Sustainable Management of Marine Fishery, a revised version of FAO AdriaMed biological sampling was proposed and implemented in the 2013 collection programme. This system is not fully compliant with EU Data Collection Framework.

Data on catch composition of commercially important species in trawl fishery are collected through national monitoring supported by MARD, according to the MEDITS protocol.

c) Vessel Monitoring System
In 2012, Montenegro has established a VMS for vessels over 10 m length overall. This system is directly connected with the Fishing Fleet Register and enables the calculation of fishing days in order to determine the fishing effort in different fishing areas.