Wild Species and Their Use

Taking (Collecting) Native Wild Species and Their Sustainable Use

Conservation of native wild species is ensured by establishing or maintaining their favourable state in the wild, therefore, the extermination of native wild species, reduction of the number of individuals in a particular population of native wild species, reduction or damage of its habitat or degradation of its living conditions to the point of endangerment of the whole population, is forbidden.

Sustainable use of native wild species is regulated by the Nature Protection Act and the Ordinance on the Collection of Native Wild Species. The Ordinance provides a list of native wild species the commercial collection of which requires a permit, prescribes general measures for management and protection of species and groups thereof, defines the detailed content of applications for obtaining a permit for commercial use of native wild species and conditions for obtaining said permit.

In addition to the Ordinance, sustainable collection of these species is also defined by the Professional Foundation for Collecting Native Wild Species of December 2017, drafted by the Croatian Environment and Nature Agency (“HAOP”), which was renamed the Institute for Environmental and Nature Protection (“Zavod za zaštitu okoliša i prirode”) in July 2019. The Professional Foundation prescribes special collection measures, which need to be regularly altered due to the situation on the ground, climate conditions, pressure on the species and its habitat, etc. Special measures include annual quantities (quotas) or a collection period defined for each species.

In accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance, the Professional Foundation is revised every three years, or earlier if a change in the trend of the population or pressure on a particular species or group is identified.

Therefore, the Ministry issues permits for the collection of native wild species in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Ordinance and the Professional Foundation.

In order to use (collect) native wild species listed in Annex I of said Ordinance for the purposes of processing, trade and other trade, a natural or legal person is obligated to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy by submitting an application.

The application for a permit for the collection of native wild species is submitted using the form published on the website of the Ministry.

The application shall contain the following information: 
1.  the following information on the applicant:
  • in case of a legal person, a natural person acting as owner of a small business, or a person performing a different type of independent activity: name and registered office of the company / small business / independent activity, PIN (“OIB”), full name of the responsible person, telephone number and e-mail address
  • in case of a natural person: full name, address and PIN, telephone number and/or e-mail address

2. species to be collected (scientific name and the name in Croatian)
3. quantities to be collected
4. collection area
5. period of activity
6. purpose of collection
7. method of collection.

The Ministry does not issue permits for personal use of native wild species. Quantities that may be collected for personal use categorised by species/groups are defined by the Ordinance.

Commercial use of species that are included in the strict protection category is not allowed, based on the provisions of the Ordinance on Species under Strict Protection (OG Nos 144/2013, 73/2016).