The Slovenian fisheries officer receives from 60 to 90 reports per year of illegal fishing in the western part of the country alone. The fine for illegal fishing is at least 250 euros. The fine for causing environmental damage can go up to 1.500 euros, but the number of such cases has been decreasing in recent years. For more efficient control the Slovenian Fishing Association is proposing closer cooperation between fishery keepers and the police.

In Slovenia there are more than 300 fishery keepers who encounter different forms of violations, explains fisheries officer Barbara Bizjak: "The most frequent violation is still fishing without a fishing license. The perpetrators are also often foreigners, against which we have no possibilities of taking action." However, Robert Svetičič from the Tolmin Fishing Club says keepers have a different way of solving such situations: "We tell them that we’re going to call the police, and that usually settles the problem. Normally, if they have equipment, we charge them for a fishing license, as we do have the right to do that as keepers. Meanwhile with the locals we also have the possibility to report them to the fisheries officer. Most of the time we also seize their equipment."

Those violating the rules have also been known to be violent on more than one occasion. Tolmin’s Deputy Police Chief, Boris Zorko, says sometimes they also refuse to reveal their identity. "The moment a fishery keeper senses that the person who is fishing is unwilling to cooperate, and the keeper is finding it difficult to establish contact, the best thing to do is call the police for help."

Mariša Bizjak; translated by K. J.