Danilo Mrdak, professor of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics and ichthyologist Danilo Mrdak, told "Vijesta" that they, as a scientific institution, were not consulted regarding the introduction of bans on Lake Skadar.
He claims that neither he nor the PMF received any request for an opinion on the introduction of a fishing ban during the summer on Skadasrk Lake, which, he claims, is "unrecorded" from the point of view of practice and science.
"It is true that earlier during the winter water level reduction I gave an opinion to introduce a temporary ban, but during the summer it is meaningless. Now, due to the vegetation, primarily blooming water lilies, it is difficult for any angler to catch fish, primarily carp, which is why the ban was introduced. Also, due to the high heat, the fish go to the depths where it is cooler, which is another reason why it is more difficult for fishermen to reach them, as evidenced by the high prices of carp on the markets. This will only increase poaching", says Mrdak.
He believes that the National Parks of Montenegro (NPCG) set a precedent with this move, because he believes that the "profession" could not advise them like that.
Mrdak assessed the finding, which the NPCG stated in the announcement, that the fish are "in poorer condition" in the summer, "to say the least, ridiculous".
"Do they train in the winter so they are in better shape? It is only true that in the summer the fish are hot, so they retreat to the depths where it is cooler or where there are springs, which is why it is harder to catch them and it is difficult to endanger the species. That's why the price of carp in winter is 50 cents per kilogram, and now you can't find it below five euros," explained Mrdak.
The NPCG replied that on January 9, they received an opinion from the PMF regarding the problem of the low water level of Lake Skadar, after which the PMF prescribed an elevation of 6.46 meters above sea level (msl) and included a new rule in the order.
"This measure was prescribed by the scientific institution PMF (Biology), on the basis of whose recommendations the order in question was amended," writes Stevan Marić, an expert associate for fisheries at NPCG.
However, in the letter that Mrdak submitted to the NPCG in January, and which "Vijesti" had access to, the PMF professor underlined that this elevation and his opinion only apply to the winter period.
A temporary ban on fishing for all types of fish was introduced yesterday in the Skadar Lake National Park (NP) due to low water levels. The current level of Lake Skadar, according to the data of the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro, is 4.56 meters above sea level, that is, it is only two centimeters higher than the record minimum.
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