Former president of the Hunting Section "Vraneška dolina" Vladimir Rakočević claims that hunting organizations in Montenegro, and especially in Bijelo Polje, are subject to numerous illegalities, for which the Hunting Association of Montenegro and the Ministry of Agriculture are the main culprits.
The Hunting Association of Montenegro (LSCG) and the Hunting Organization of Bijelo Polje (LOBP), however, respond that everything was done according to the law and that there were no abuses in their work.
Rakočević recalled that at the hunters' assembly in Bijelo Polje, the president of the LSCG Nikola Markovic supported the president of the LOBP Darko Raičević, although, as he said, he lost the right to own and carry weapons due to the criminal offenses he committed in the past.
"According to the Game and Hunting Act and the organization's Statute, by losing the right to bear arms, a person loses the right to be a regular member, which means that he or she can vote and be elected in the bodies of the hunting organization. However, Raičević is still the head of the Bijelo Polje Hunting Association, which is illegal," said Rakočević.
He pointed out that for years, LSCG has not responded to his letters in which he pointed out illegal actions in LOBP. He claims that the LOBP Board of Directors and the President of the Assembly Suad Pilica illegally made amendments to the Statute last year, and in this way transferred all the powers of the Assembly to the Board of Directors.
"The majority of delegates boycotted that assembly on April 20th, so it was unable to pass amendments to the Statute," said Rakočević.
He pointed out that there are numerous illegalities surrounding the examination and obtaining of gamekeeper certificates, which also arose due to the illegal work of the LSCG, which issues licenses. He also said that the open hunting shooting championship was held last year at the Majstorovina shooting range, which does not meet the safety, technical and security requirements for the safe use of weapons, nor does it have a use permit.
"Around 60 hunters from Montenegro participated in it, some of whom did not even have a valid permit to own and carry weapons, and one of them was even awarded," said Rakočević.
In Bijelo Polje, as unofficially confirmed to "Vijesti" by the Police Directorate, there are no registered civilian shooting ranges for conducting shooting exercises or sports competitions.
In their response to "Vijesti" from LSCG and LOBP, they stated that Rakočević's claims are unfounded.
"Supervision of the implementation of the Law on Game and Hunting and regulations adopted on the basis of that law, as well as the implementation of measures in the field of game and hunting, is carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the administrative body responsible for inspection supervision through the hunting inspector. Therefore, it is not up to the LSCG to assess and decide, but rather to other state bodies and institutions that are legally responsible for this," the LSCG and LOBP wrote in their response.
They also denied Rakočević's claim that the hunting grounds are managed by the Ministry, which, through the LSCG, transfers public powers to NGO hunting organizations, but rather that the Government allocates hunting grounds for management, and the Ministry concludes a contract on the use of hunting grounds with the legal entities to which they are allocated, after a public competition.
"By the Government's decision of December 28, 2022, the "Bijelo Polje" hunting ground was allocated for use by the LOBP for a period of 10 years. The Ministry and the LOBP concluded an agreement on the use of the hunting ground on February 8, 2023," the response states.
When asked whether it was true that LSCG had not responded to letters pointing to illegal actions in the LOBP for years, they stated that observed irregularities in the work of hunting ground users should be addressed to the institutions and bodies whose jurisdiction it is to investigate these irregularities.
Regarding how the president of the LSCG supported Raičević as president at the last assembly, Marković states that at the "ceremonial assembly attended by the LSCG delegation, the president of the Municipality and a large number of LOBP hunters and their guests, the president of the LOBP, Darko Raičević, submitted a report on the work in the previous period, and that the president of the municipality also spoke about the recognized importance of hunters and their contribution. Petar Smolović".
When asked whether it is true that, under the Law on Game and Hunting and the statute, a person loses the right to own a weapon and loses the right to be a regular member, to elect and be elected to the bodies of the LOBP, they stated that membership in a hunting organization and the method of electing bodies are not prescribed by the Law on Game and Hunting, but by the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations.
"This law regulates the method of establishment, registration and deletion from the register, status, bodies, financing and other issues of importance for the work and activities of NGOs. The statute of that organization, as the largest internal legal act, also prescribes the method of election of bodies, and therefore the election of the president of that organization. LOBP was established under the Law on NGOs and entered into the Register of Non-Governmental Organizations, the management of which is now under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Regional - Investment Development and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations. Therefore, LSCG is not an institution that would value the rights of membership and election of bodies in LOBP as an NGO," they state in the response from LSCG.
Asked to comment on the claims that the amendments to the LOBP Statute were made illegally, they said that the Law on NGOs stipulates that NGOs must submit a report to the Ministry of Regional and Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs on any change in facts and data entered in the register, within 30 days from the date of the change.
"The Ministry assesses and decides on the change of facts and data and issues a Decision on the newly created change based on its decision. The Decision has legal effect and the right to appeal within a certain period," the response states.
Regarding Rakočević's claims about illegalities in passing and obtaining the gamekeeper certificate, the LOBP and LSCG state that there are no illegalities.
"The Law on Game and Hunting stipulates that the service of guarding hunting grounds is performed by hunting grounds guards and other professional persons authorized by the hunting grounds user and who meet the conditions specified by law. A game warden may be a person who has the professional qualification of a hunting grounds - reserve guard, has passed the hunting exam and who meets the conditions for carrying weapons, in accordance with the law regulating this. A professional qualification may be acquired by a person who has the third or fourth level of the qualification framework, in accordance with the Law on National Professional Qualifications. LSCG, as a licensed organizer of adult education for acquiring the professional qualification of a hunting grounds - reserve guard, in the reporting period has organized training for participants to acquire this qualification on several occasions and organized exams to test knowledge, skills and competencies, and issued a certificate to all those who passed the exam."
Regarding the hunting ground in Majstorovina and the competition last year, by signing the contract on allocating the hunting ground for use by the LOBP, they state that the conditions have been met to designate a place for shooting exercises and testing of hunting weapons as an organization of shooting competitions, in accordance with the Law on Weapons.
"At the meeting of the Board of Directors on 26. 2. 2025, a decision was made to designate the former military shooting range "Majstorovina" as the location for shooting exercises and testing of hunting weapons, as well as the organization of shooting competitions, for the duration of the Agreement on the Use of the Hunting Ground," they stated in the response from the LOBP and LSCG, adding that the decision also stipulates that all activities related to shooting exercises and testing of hunting weapons, as well as the organization of shooting competitions, may take place exclusively in the presence of the manager or game warden or other professional persons designated by the LOBP Board of Directors with special authorization.
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