The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro has published the Action Plan for Circular Aquaculture Development at Šasko Lake (Šasko jezero), presenting a structured and evidence-based roadmap for advancing circular aquaculture practices in Montenegro.

Developed within the AZA4ICE project and grounded in the LiRRIE co-creation process, the Action Plan translates scientific assessments, territorial analyses, and stakeholder priorities into a set of realistic, low-risk, and implementable actions.

🌊 A Pilot for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture

Šasko Lake, one of Montenegro’s most ecologically sensitive freshwater ecosystems, has been identified as a suitable location for carefully managed circular aquaculture, based on the C-AZA environmental suitability assessment (index: 0.633).

The proposed production model follows an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) approach, combining:

  • Cyprinus carpio (fed species)

  • Phragmites australis (extractive species)

This system demonstrates:

  • strong sustainability performance (IS: 0.737)

  • moderate circularity (ICI: 0.44) with clear potential for improvement

📊 Key Findings and Strategic Focus

The Action Plan highlights a key structural gap between:

  • Low circularity readiness (1.7)

  • High willingness to invest (3.8)

This confirms the need for targeted interventions, including:

  • capacity building

  • regulatory clarification

  • practical demonstration systems

🚀 Six Priority Actions

To address these challenges, the Plan defines six priority actions:

  1. Capacity building for fishermen and SMEs

  2. Establishment of a modular IMTA pilot system

  3. Development of community-based circular initiatives

  4. Environmental monitoring and safeguards

  5. Business support and funding mobilisation

  6. Creation of an inclusive governance and coordination platform

⏱ Implementation Framework

The implementation is structured over a 24-month period, with a phased and financially realistic approach leveraging:

  • EU funding instruments (Interreg, IPARD III)

  • national support mechanisms

A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system ensures accountability, adaptability, and evidence-based decision-making.

🌍 Towards Scalable Circular Aquaculture

The Action Plan positions Šasko Lake as the first demonstration site for circular freshwater aquaculture in Montenegro, offering a scalable model for replication across inland water ecosystems while safeguarding environmental integrity and strengthening local livelihoods.

🔗 Access the Action Plan

👉 The full document is available at: LINK.

This initiative represents an important step towards sustainable blue economy development and circular aquaculture practices in the South Adriatic region.