Temporary suspension of recreational fishing in the Adriatic from September 15 to October 14

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has adopted the Ordinance on the implementation of measure I.9. “Temporary cessation of fishing activities” with bottom trawls – beam trawls for September/October 2026, published in Official Gazette No. 102 of September 14, 2026. The Ordinance introduces a temporary suspension of trawl fishing for a duration of 30 days, from September 15, 2026, at 00:00 hours to October 14, 2026, at 24:00 hours, in fishing zones C, D, and E.

The Ordinance was adopted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister David Vlajčić based on Article 55, paragraph 10 of the Marine Fisheries Act (“Official Gazette”, No. 62/17, 130/17, 14/19, 30/23, and 14/24). The document bears the markings Class: 324-01/22-01/3505 and Registry No: 525-12/709-26-51, and was signed in Zagreb on September 7, 2026.

Area and Duration of Suspension

The temporary suspension is implemented in the segment of fishing with bottom trawls – beam trawls (trawl fishing) in fishing zones C, D, and E. Exceptionally, in fishing zone E, the following areas are exempt from the restrictions:

• part of subzone E1 north of the line Cape Grota on the island of Cres – Cape Pelova on the island of Krk
• subzone E2

The measure is implemented in accordance with the Recommendation of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean GFCM/43/2019/5 on the multiannual management plan for sustainable bottom fishing in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18) and the Ordinance on the spatial and temporal limitation of commercial marine fishing with bottom trawls – beam trawls in 2026 (“Official Gazette”, No. 98/26).

Support for Fishermen from the EU Fund

The subject of the support is compensation for the holders of the fishing vessel license and crew members, in the form of one-time earmarked non-refundable financial funds. The share of public support is 100 percent, in accordance with Article 41, paragraph 2, and Annex III, row 9 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 on the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.

The compensation amount for the vessel is calculated by the formula L = P × GT × d, where P is the compensation amount per day of suspension for one gross ton (GT), and d is the number of days of suspension. The compensation per crew member is 36 euros per day of suspension for persons employed full-time, or a proportional amount for persons working part-time. Payment is made by the Agency for Payments in Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development to the account of the license holder.

Eligibility Criteria and Procedure

To receive support, the fishing vessel must meet the following conditions:

• possess a valid license for commercial marine fishing
• be entered in the Fishing Fleet Register of the Republic of Croatia
• have sufficient minimum fishing activity of a total of 120 fishing days during the last two calendar years
• have at least 10 percent of fishing activity or 60 fishing days achieved in trawl fishing in zones C, D, and E
• be moored in port during the entire period of suspension

The application for support is submitted via the FISHNET information system between September 15 and October 14, 2026, and the Request for Payment within 60 days of receiving notification from the Managing Authority. Field controls are carried out by employees of the Managing Authority, with the possibility of involving representatives of the European Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and other supervisory bodies.

The measure for the temporary cessation of bottom trawling is part of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme of the Republic of Croatia for the programming period 2021 – 2027, under Priority 1: “Promoting sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of biological resources.” The goal is the protection of benthic habitats and the sustainable management of fish stocks in the Adriatic, with financial compensation for fishers and crew members who cannot perform fishing activities during the suspension.

“This Ordinance prescribes the implementation of support under measure I.9. ‘Temporary cessation of fishing activities’ within Priority 1 of the European Union ‘Promoting sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of biological resources’, as part of the implementation of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme of the Republic of Croatia for the programming period 2021 – 2027.” — Ordinance on the implementation of measure I.9. “Temporary cessation of fishing activities” with bottom towed nets – trawlers for September/October 2026, Narodne novine number 102, September 14, 2026.