Contrary to all reports to the contrary, fishing in the Croatian Adriatic is only permitted with a permit. Many of our compatriots were already fishing in the open sea or on the beach, when they were caught red-handed by the Croatian fish guards with fishing rods in their hands. Even the smartest explanation doesn’t promise to avoid a fine!
Online fishing license
The work of determined Hungarian fishermen is made easier by the fact that permits for recreational fishing for the Croatian Adriatic region are available not only at information points assisting tourists, but also by the local Ministry of Agriculture (Ministarstvo Poljoprivrede) on his website It can also be replaced. There are three types of licenses to choose from:
- 1 day for 7.96 euros,
- three days for 19.91 euros,
- Seven days for 39.82 euros.
The purchase of the license is not associated with any prerequisites or hunting tests, because after entering personal data and paying by bank card, the license is immediately sent to the specified email address in PDF format. The document must be printed and kept with you when fishing along with the document (ID card or passport) presented at the time of application.
more than thirty regions
However, even a seven-day permit does not give anyone the right to fish freely in any part of the Adriatic Sea. The coast, the islands and the open sea were divided into regions by our neighbors to the south. This means that the area where you want to fish must be marked when the license is issued. In other words, the permit only applies to the specified area!
The Adriatic Sea is divided into more than thirty regions, and within these regions, fishermen can encounter almost similar fishing conditions.
The maritime section closest to Hungary, between Rijeka and Opatija, is marked E1, while Crikvenica and surrounding areas are marked E3. Interestingly, the waters around Krk Island cover three areas, which means it doesn’t matter where on the island we want to fish. On the western coast of the Istrian Peninsula, Umag is in Zone A1, Porec and Rovinj in Zone A2, and Pula in Zone A3. On the Dalmatian coast, for example, Zadar is zoned F1, Sibenik is zoned F2, Trogir and Split are zoned G2, Makarska is zoned G3, and the island of Vis in central Dalmatia is zoned C4.
Rules and offenses
Of course, there are rules that all sea anglers must follow. For example, a license for traps, baselines, harpoons, or artificial lighting can only be purchased after an annual recreation permit has been obtained. Yes, but annual recreation passes are only issued from December 1st to March 1st. Additionally, a speargun cannot be used with a recreational hunting license.
Croatian authorities can fine those who fish illegally without a license between €130 (50,000 forint) and €660 (250,000 forint).
money center condition Accordingly, the penalty for those who fail to comply with their obligation to record catch data can be greater. They can count on fines ranging from €660 to €3,980.
(Cover photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
