EU Ends Fishing Tradition in Croatia

Croatian fishermen in seaside towns have been living from the sea and using nets to catch fish for centuries, but the tradition is soon about to end because of European Union laws…

From 1 March 2014 Croatians will no longer be able to use nets to catch fish for their own personal consumption because of EU regulations that Croatia must adopt after they joined the EU last July. The new law has understandable not gone down well among fishing folk on Croatia’s islands and coast. The decision has shocked locals, who say the nets have no effect on fishing stocks.

“A solution needs to be found, it is a tradition (fishing with nets) and it is crossing no boundaries, the law is absurd. There is no logic, ” said one coastal fishermen, who says that he has been fishing all his life with nets, just as his forefathers did, to put food on the table.

Nets will not be banned for everyone however, persons older than 60-years of age, whose catch does not total more than 220 euros, will still be able to use nets to catch fish, the rest, the Ministry says, will need to use other methods which are not banned, such as hooks, long lines and harpoons.