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54 birdwatching in croatia
Fishing on the Adriatic 55
EuroBirdwatch
Bird lovers by now have a date in their diary every
year for the first weekend in October, when the annual
EuroBirdwatch is held. Organised by BirdLife, a global
partnership of conservation organisations, the event aims
to raise awareness of issues related to bird migration,
to promote protection of endangered bird species and
to recruit new members for the partner organisations.
See www.birdlife.org.
Darko Podravec
Kornati National Park Butina 2, Murter, tel. (+385-22)
43 57 40, kornati@kornati.hr, www.kornati.hr.
Paklenica National Park
The Paklenica National Park occupies the coastal part of
the southern Velebit mountains. The Park is famous for the
large difference in altitudes you cross as you travel through
it, complete with changes in climate, all in a relatively small
area. Bird species you might spot on the rock and cliff faces
include the Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer) and the Blue
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Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius). Rare and endangered
birds of prey to be found here include the Golden Eagle (Aquila
chrysaetos), Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Short-Toed
Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) and Goshawk (Accipiter gentiles).
Entry tickets to the park cost 40kn depending on the time of
year. Birdwatching as an individual is not permitted: please
call ahead to organise a tour with one of the Park’s official
guides.
Paklenica National Park dr. F. Tuđmana 14a, Starigrad -
Paklenica, tel. (+385-23) 36 92 02, prezentacija@paklenica.
hr, np-paklenica@zd.t-com.hr, www.paklenica.hr.
Velebit Nature Park / Northern Velebit National Park The
Velebit is the longest mountain range in Croatia, stretching
145km from Vratnik near Senj to the River Zrmanja near Zadar.
It is not classified as an Important Bird Area, nor does it have
any bird reserves, but it does encompass three Parks: the
Northern Velebit National Park, the Velebit Nature Park and
the Paklenica National Park. It has two strict nature reserves
(both in the Northern Velebit National Park) as well as nature
reserves for plant life, and the area is rich in flora and fauna.
Nesting sides of the following birds are to be found here: the
Eurasian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum), the Ortolan
Bunting (Emberiza hortulana), the Western Capercaillie or
Wood Grouse (Tetrao urogallus), White Backed Woodpecker
(Dendrocopus leucotos) and the the Boreal Owl (Aegolius
funereus).
Velebit National Park Kaniža Gospićka 4b, Gospić, tel.
(+385-53) 56 04 50, Krasno office (+385-53) 85 16 00,
Obrovac office (+385-23)68 98 18, velebit@pp-velebit.
hr, www.pp-velebit.hr.
Northern Velebit Nature Park Krasno 96, Krasno, tel.
(+385-53) 66 53 80, npsv@np-sjeverni-velebit.hr, www.
np-sjeverni-velebit.hr.
Senj Info Centre Obala kralja Zvonimira, tel.(+385-53) 88
45 51. There are no organised birdwatching activities.
Val agency This travel agency organises birdwatching tours
over several days in Dalmatia during the spring and autumn
migrating seasons. Please check www.croatiabirding.com for
details, dates and prices.
Val-tours, Trg hrvatskih velikana bb, Biograd n/m, tel.
(+385-23) 38 64 79, info@val-tours.hr,www.val-tours.hr.
Darko Podravec
Nedo Buljan
“The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s
lives the hours spent on fishing.” - Assyrian proverb
The Croatian Adriatic is among cleanest seas in Europe. Add
to that its warmth, shallowness, and lack of strong tides and
currents, and you have an ideal environment for the joys of
recreational fishing.
Croatia is often called “the country of a thousand islands”
due to its 66 islands, 652 islets, 389 rocks and 78 reefs.
The waters of the Adriatic are rich in fish, aquatic mammals,
seaweed, plankton, shellfish, crabs and sponges. It’s no
wonder that the tradition of fishing here goes back millennia.
Apart from being a vital industry and a traditional way of life,
fishing today for many people provides an ideal way to relax
and reconnect with nature.
Fishing techniques tend to be passed down through
generations, and you’ll often see grandparents and
grandchildren heading out happily together to catch fish.
The locals, of course, know the best tips and tricks for
their particular waters, and will usually be glad to help and
advise you.
Keen anglers will find all kinds of fishing opportunities in
Croatia due to the diversity of the coastal terrain. Just some
of the places you might like to explore include: the islands
of Mali Lošinj, Jabuka, Svetac and Mali Ždrelac; the channel
that connects the Zadar and the Central channels; and the
Bay of Pag, where there are so many fish that you can exceed
your legal fishing limit with alarming ease. Then there’s the Tri
Sestrice islets near Zadar and the entire Zadar archipelago.
Lovers of spearfishing will find their nirvana in the mystical
depths around the islands of Glavat and Molunat. You can
also have unique fishing experiences off the coast of the
Pelješac peninsula and close to the island of Šolta, a spot
so beloved of Roman emperor Diocletian that he ordered
fish ponds be built on the island. You might be lucky enough
to spot a Mediterranean monk seal, one of the world’s most
endangered species, which is often spotted around Šolta.
There are over 400 species of fish native to the Adriatic, and
if you’re hunting for your lunch or dinner in a local restaurant
you’ll most likely “catch” orada (sea bass), brancin (sea
bream), arbun (common pandora), skuša (mackerel),
lokarda (chub mackerel), srdele (sardines), papaline
(sprats), škarpina (scorpion fish), trlja (red mullet), ušata
(saddled seabream), pic (sharpsnout seabream), zubatac
(dentex), grdobina (monkfish), and kovač (John Dory).
However, because of various threats presented by mankind
such as pollution, overfishing and increasingly intensive
tourism, more and more species native to the Adriatic are
endangered. The following species have protected status
in Croatia: the ocean sunfish (lat. Mola mola), fan mussel
(Pinna nobilis), date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga), Caspian
gull (Larus cachinnans), green wrasse (Labrus viridis),
sea cucumber (Holothurioidea), Mediterranean monkseal
(Monachus monachus), common bottlenose dolphin
(Tursiops truncates), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis),
the whale, the sea turtle, the shellfish Dolium galea and
Mitra zonata, the large sea snail Triton’s Trumpet (Charonia
tritonis), and Neptune Grass (Posidonia oceanica).
Nedo Buljan
There are several ways to fish at sea, and most people
take part in sea fishing for sport and recreation. Whichever
kind of fishing you want to enjoy, you must first make sure
you take care of the paperwork. You can buy permits
covering one day (60kn), three days (150kn), seven days
(300kn) and one month (700kn), while Croatian citizens
and foreigners with temporary residence in Croatia can buy
one year permits. Prices are subject to change, and are the
same for sport and recreational licences. When buying a
sports licence you must also purchase a membership card
of the Croatian Sea Sport Fishing Association, which costs
50kn. Licences can be bought at offices of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development in Pula, Rijeka,
Senj, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Ploče and Dubrovnik; in travel
agencies, harbourmasters’ offices and from authorized
resellers; while the membership card of the Sport Fishing
Association is bought from the organization itself. You can
find a list showing where to buy recreational licences at the
Minstry’s website,www.mps.hr, which has English pages. For
the sport fishing licence and membership, see www.hssrm.
hr/mjesta-prodaja-dozvola.html
Fishing is not allowed in special reservations, in harbours or
on beaches between 1 June and 1 October. There are special
regulations governing fishing in national parks. The maximum
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Summer 2011