Montenegro
Our work
Global Fishing Watch is engaging with Montenegro to advance sustainable fisheries management and promote transparency in the Adriatic sea. In collaboration with Montenegro’s Directorate for Fisheries, we are providing technical assistance to strengthen the country’s capacity to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Our initiatives are designed to enhance vessel tracking systems, improve compliance and foster regional data-sharing efforts that support sustainable fisheries.
Montenegro’s fishing industry, though small in scale, plays an essential role in the socioeconomic development of its coastal communities. With a fleet primarily composed of small-scale vessels, effective marine spatial planning and biodiversity conservation are key to ensuring that economic growth aligns with environmental stewardship.
The Montenegrin government has shown political leadership in adopting advanced tracking technologies and data systems to improve fisheries management. By implementing a monitoring platform to oversee fishing activities in its waters, the Balkan nation is taking concrete steps toward greater accountability. Our engagement has provided Montenegro with valuable insights into how cutting-edge technology can enhance marine resource management and support local decision making.
Global Fishing Watch is committed to empowering Montenegro by facilitating knowledge sharing with Mediterranean countries, addressing gaps in fisheries management and compliance, and training personnel to analyze vessel tracking data more effectively. These initiatives will further bolster Montenegro’s capacity to detect and prevent IUU fishing, ensuring a more sustainable future for the country’s marine resources.
Highlights
Our engagements have involved a range of stakeholders, including the Directorate for Fisheries and the University of Montenegro, and are aimed at advancing policies, bolstering internal processes and developing capacity.
Operational support: Strengthening national and international surveillance
We aim to work with the Fisheries Directorate to develop standard operating procedures that integrate vessel tracking technologies into core monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) processes. These efforts will enhance the country's ability to monitor its territorial waters, as well as track foreign vessels operating within 12 nautical miles of its coast and ensure their compliance. We also aim to assist Montenegro in refining its data-sharing processes with international bodies like the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean.
Capacity development: Ensuring technology adoption
With Montenegro’s limited resources and small industrial fleet, targeted capacity development is critical. We offer tailored technical support to boost the country’s MCS capabilities, for example, by refining authorized vessel lists, assessing fisheries management and compliance and conducting thorough technology needs assessments.
Policy support: Improving regulation on vessel tracking
Global Fishing Watch is dedicated to collaborating with Montenegrin authorities to ensure compliance with EU regulations, especially those related to foreign vessel activity and the strengthening of port controls. Our efforts help align national policies with international standards, reinforcing Montenegro’s commitment to sustainable fisheries management.
About Montenegro
Montenegro’s fishing industry has deep cultural roots, with a long history of fishing on its coastline. The fleet is primarily composed of small, older vessels, averaging 32 years in age and about seven meters in length. While national regulations require vessels over 10 meters to be equipped with vessel monitoring systems, only 10 percent of vessels currently have these devices installed, and around 8 percent are fitted with automatic identification systems. Global Fishing Watch is working to expand these monitoring systems, enhancing both the safety of fishers and the oversight of fishing activities.
Montenegro has made significant progress in aligning its fisheries standards with those of the European Union. The country has embraced the EU’s data collection framework and implemented critical regulations to curb IUU fishing. The establishment of Montenegro’s fishing monitoring center in 2018 was a major milestone, enabling 24-hour control of vessels at sea and playing a crucial role in ensuring the safety and sustainability of its fishing industry.
Montenegro’s fishing fleet primarily targets blue fish species such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel, along with white fish including hake, mullet and sea bream. Deep-water shrimp also represent an important catch for the fleet. By collaborating with Global Fishing Watch, Montenegro can continue to strengthen its fisheries management, ensuring that sustainable practices are at the forefront of both environmental conservation and the economic well-being of its coastal communities.