Fish stock protection in the Adriatic from the viewpoint of the organization and activity of the fishery inspection
Abstract
The supervision over fishery activities ad fish protection along our coast dates from 18th century. The first organized service of fishery inspection is of a rather recent date. In the old Yugoslavia with a not well developed, coastal and extensive fishery this service was rather well organized and it was very efficient in the region of three fishery guards: the northern, central, and southern Adriatic.
After the liberation of our country, due to the development of the industrial and intensive fishery, and due to frequent reorganizations of the state management, starting from the boroughs to the federation, the role and significance of the fishery supervision changed too, and thus also the activity of the organs authorized to control the fishery. These organs were made predominantly a part of the lower socio-political organizations and the SR’s supplied them with expert help and collaboration. Only in 1951. the first Decree on the Organization and Work of the Fishery Guard on the Sea was issued. Its duty was to supervise the fishery means applied the regions in which fishery was practiced, if closed season was observed, if fish of certain size were caught, and if punishment was inflicted on the violators of fishery laws. This fishery guard used 7 motor boats in the regions of Pula, Rijeka Rab, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik. At first it was under the authority of the republic organs of management responsible for the sea fishery, and later on under the authority of the coastal administrative districts and boroughs. The greatest part of this function has now been taken over by the borough organs on the internal affairs in whose competence are also the motor boats of the fishery guard the port offices and their branches. These a u x i l i a r y organs of the fishery inspection are under the expert supervision of the borough’s fishery imspectors who are still the fundamental bearers of this service.
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In order to make the fishery inspection on the whole more mobile and efficient in controlling the violators of the regulations established on the sea, and especially those regarding fishery, it has been sugested to consolidate all the inspections and other services on the sea by concentrating all the vessels, all the means of communication, cadres, and financial means. Thus a new quality would be attained regarding a successful supervision and protection of the fish stock in our part of the Adratic.
