The "Plantaža" fishpond on Mareza suffered extensive damage due to flooding when water from the Mereze canal overflowed and flooded the fishpond over the past three days, allowing various categories of fish from multiple pools to mix and migrate into the canals and surrounding flooded meadows.
The company told "Vijesti" that the damage will only be assessed once the water recedes, and that they have called on the authorities to prevent illegal fishing in the canals and the theft of their fish.
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The fishpond was built in 1957, as part of the then large Agrokombinat “13. jul”. Its capacity is 100 thousand kilograms of consumer trout, and the current owner of “Plantaža” earned 550 thousand euros from its sale last year. The young fish from this fishpond are also used to stock several Montenegrin rivers and lakes. The fishpond had a complete production system from the parent flock, eggs, larvae, young fish to consumer categories.
"The entire Mareze area, as well as the wider part of Podgorica, suffered damage due to heavy rainfall and extremely high water levels. In such circumstances, water and fish from the fishpond system spilled into the surrounding canals, which caused damage to fishpond production. At this moment, due to the mixing of all categories of fish and the fact that the water has not yet completely receded, it is not possible to determine either the quantity or structure of the fish stock that has left the system, or to provide a precise assessment of the extent of the damage. Only after the situation has stabilized and a detailed inspection of the entire system will it be possible to present reliable data," said "Plantaž" when asked by "Vijesti" how much damage was caused, how many fish were lost, both consumer and juvenile, and whether production can be restored.
Warning for “fishermen”
Immediately after the fishponds were flooded, dozens of "fishermen" appeared on the Mareze canals and surrounding flooded areas, catching escaped fish. "Plantaž" emphasizes that these are not anyone's fish, but rather the property of the state-owned company.
"Due to the extreme increase in water levels, fish have overflowed into the inlet and outlet channels. Although the fish are currently in an open watercourse, we would like to clearly emphasize that these fish do not belong to anyone, but are part of the production fund that, due to force majeure, has ended up outside the fishpond system. We appeal to citizens to behave responsibly and cautiously and to refrain from catching and appropriating fish, bearing in mind that this is a production fund. At the same time, we have called on the competent institutions to get involved and, within their powers, take measures to prevent the unauthorized alienation of fish," the company told "Vijesti".
The Capital announced two days ago that the main cause of the flooding on the Mareza was a usurped and filled-up canal.
This 8,5-kilometer-long canal was built in the 1960s, and its role was to carry excess water from Mareza through Tološe, Pavlovine and Donja Gorica, to the former old fishpond located on the Morača below the current "DG Arena" stadium, as well as to be used for irrigation of land in this once developed agricultural area.
Mechanization from Podgorica's utility companies and the Army has been cleaning the canal for three days now, in an attempt to restore its real function.
Blocked canal causes flooding
Director of the Podgorica Waterworks Aleksandar Nišavić At the beginning of December last year, the municipality requested that the canal be urgently cleaned because it was also the cause of the turbidity of drinking water from the main city water source on Mareza, because after heavy rains, the turbid water does not drain away but returns to the source.
He said back then in the morning program of TV Vijest that the canal was filled in several places, mostly at its end where part of the private stadium "DG Arena" was built on it at the mouth of the Mareza.
"Anything is possible, including demolishing a stadium or removing a local road across a canal, if there is a will and the laws of the country are respected. 50 years ago, someone built a canal so that a machine could go in and clean it once a year or once every two years. The function of this canal is crucial for the operation of water sources and fishponds," Nišavić said at the time.
Two days ago, municipal companies removed several embankments on the canal, as well as an embankment that was part of a local road in Donja Gorica, and the Army built a pontoon bridge in that place. Yesterday, the canal was cleaned and part of the sports field in Donja Gorica that was built on it, as well as part of the fence near the “DG Arena”, was removed. The Capital City announced that it would not remove part of the stands and the floodlight that were built on the site of the former canal, but that it would build a new canal that would bypass the stadium.
This stadium was built on a 26-square-meter plot of land that the former management of "Plantaža" sold to the private club FK "Podgorica" in 2019 for 775 euros in installments over five years.
It will take time to restore production.
The "Plantaže" company indicates that a production restoration plan will be developed once the water recedes, the remaining fish stocks are protected, and an expert assessment is made.
"Fish production is a system that can be restored with appropriate remediation measures and time. The current priority is to stabilize the situation, assess the damage and protect the remaining stock, after which, based on expert assessments, further steps will be considered," the state-owned company said in response to questions from "Vijesti".
According to data from the financial report for 2024, the company's total revenue from fish sales amounted to 545 thousand euros, while in 2023 it was 473 thousand.
According to the company's long-term development plans, the expansion and modernization of the fishpond on Mareza is planned.
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