Adriatic fishing industry infrastructure and stock crisis

Fishermen in the Adriatic region, particularly in Montenegro and Croatia, are facing mounting economic and structural difficulties. In Montenegro, industry representatives have highlighted unresolved infrastructure issues, specifically regarding the Lazure port. Savo Ćetković of the National Association of Fish Producers noted that while the port is designated for fishing on paper, practical benefits and concrete steps to address these issues have not materialized.

As the situation progresses, the challenges have expanded to include declining fish stocks and stricter regulatory measures. In Montenegro, fishermen in Herceg Novi continue to struggle with inadequate institutional support and a lack of modernized fleets despite discussions with European Union delegations.

In Croatia, authorities have introduced emergency measures to protect dwindling sardine populations, such as reducing allowed fishing days in Istria from 20 to five per month. While conservation is acknowledged, local fishermen have suggested that quotas should be managed per vessel rather than through time-based restrictions to ensure effectiveness.