Five-Month Koran Fishing Ban Announced

TIRANA, October 30

A new order published in the Official Gazette on Friday says that the Ministry of Agriculture has imposed a seasonal ban on fishing Koran trout also known as Ohrid trout in Ohrid Lake with effect from November 11th to March 1, 2021.
The order defines the intentional catching, transporting, and landing of Belushka (Salmothymus Ohridanus). Only bleak fishing will be allowed in the areas approved by the Fishing Management Organization. Moreover, it says that every fishing vehicle or device will be confiscated.
In the meantime, only the collection of Koran eggs, up to 200 kg, for rearing purposes will be allowed during January 1 and March 1, 2021a, and taken to the fish hatchery in Lin Village. Koran fish collected for eggs should be weighted, marked, and released back into the lake.
Koran is an endemic species in Ohrid Lake and its tributaries. It is also a specialty in Albanian gastronomy. However, overfishing and illegal fishing activities, and water pollution pose a threat to this endemic species. What people can do during the five-month ban is to not ask for Koran fish in restaurants in Pogradec or in other villages on the coast of Ohrid Lake that have Koran fish on their menus.

Find below more information on the Lin Village, the status of Ohrid Lake, fish and aquaculture in Albania, and the Ohrid Trout Recipe

Albanian Part of Ohrid Lake Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
Lin Peninsula, the “Lake of Light”
Albanian Recipe: Koran casserole with walnuts
Fish Processing Plants & Companies in Albania
Types of Fishes in Albania
Lake Ohrid Threatened by Pollution and Illegal Fish-Farming
Fisheries in Kukes, Investing for a Sustainable Economy
Source: The Official Gazette

Photo Credit: Pogradec Municipality