The construction of a fishing port at Cape Đeran is one step closer to realization, following the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study by the Environmental Protection Agency for the implementation of this project.
The investor is the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management, and the project is being implemented within the framework of the Second Montenegro Institutional Development and Agriculture Strengthening Project (MIDAS 2), financed by the World Bank.
When it comes to implementing the investment, the Ministry has engaged consultants – the companies Rogan Associates and Paseco to prepare engineering solutions and an Environmental Impact Assessment Study. The consultant has also developed the conceptual design of the port and assisted in obtaining information and consultations that are an integral part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA/ESIA) procedures.
As seen in the document, the future port will be a facility of mixed use. It is planned to accommodate primarily fishing boats, and part of the capacity will be intended for tourist and recreational vessels and berths for seasonal use.
The location where the port will be built is in the municipality of Ulcinj, between Cape Đeran, the Pinješ hill, and the Great Beach at the mouth of the Port Milena channel.
The construction will take place on two urban parcels – UP6 and UP3. Urban Parcel 6 has a total area of 79,952 m2 and encompasses parts of multiple cadastral parcels and the corresponding sea area. UP3 is designated for the land part of the port, with a total area of 1,310 m2, also covering parts of multiple cadastral parcels. The maximum area for buildings that can be constructed on UP3 is 262 m2.
The document notes that the proposed capacity and port plan are the result of broad consultations at the national and local levels, including local communities and stakeholders.
In addition to the primary function as a fishing port, the design of this port has taken into account the municipality of Ulcinj’s requirements, as well as the requests of the local population and fishermen, to allow the mooring of recreational vessels, thus contributing to tourism development. The mixed-use of the port aligns with the existing planning documents for the Cape Đeran and Port Milena area, which consider the need for mooring both fishing and recreational vessels. By permitting a limited portion of the port’s capacity for recreational/seasonal mooring, the potential revenue of the port is increased, which is crucial for its operational functionality and sustainability – as explained.
When it comes to capacities, the plan is for the port to accommodate up to 60 fishing boats. Out of these, 20 berths will be designated for new, larger vessels up to 15 meters, while approximately 40 berths will be for existing fishing boats up to 10 meters in length. These are mainly small fishing boats currently anchored within the Port Milena channel.
Additionally, the port is designed to accommodate up to 19 tourist or recreational boats up to 20 meters in length, and 12 leisure boats up to 20 meters, specifically for seasonal mooring.
It is emphasized that the proposed capacity and distribution of berths are the result of extensive consultations with key stakeholders, considered the most efficient solution.
Taking into account the port’s capacity and the distribution of fishing vessels, it is expected that up to 150 fishermen will use the port facilities on a daily basis. Regarding permanently employed staff, for the given size and purpose of the port, a total of 10 workers would be necessary to ensure smooth and continuous port operation, as stated in the Environmental Impact Assessment Study.
The new structure of the fishing port is designed in a way that the harbor basins will be protected from wave intrusion, while at the same time external works (breakwaters) will not significantly disrupt the sediment transport scheme along the coast (Great Beach). To ensure complete compliance with the Detailed Spatial Plan (UTU), the initially chosen alternative layout based on the conceptual solution has been slightly shifted, transposing it 20 meters to the north and seven meters to the east, and the main breakwater has been shortened by only 3.5 meters. With these changes, both the underwater and above-water parts of the port are entirely within the boundaries of the urban parcel UP6, which is one of the two urban parcels designated for port construction, in accordance with the Amendments to the Detailed Spatial Plan for Cape Đeran-Port Milena.
The area of UP3 will be used for the parking space of the fishing port. The parking will be constructed on public land.
The total area of the port will cover approximately 11,850 m². The necessary land area will be entirely created within the boundaries of UP6 and the Fishing Port zone to enable easy circulation and maneuvering of small trucks and accommodate a hall for fish storage. Land infrastructure is planned to support the preservation, storage, handling, and packaging of fish and other marine organisms. It is emphasized that there will be no fish processing within the port, except for washing and packaging.
Additionally, within the port area, 60 lockers (each two square meters) will be constructed for storing fishing equipment, located parallel to the northern protective embankment. It is also proposed that part of the space, on the inner side of the breakwater in the windward direction, be used by divers who want to enter the water. The construction of a water renewal system from two canals is also envisaged.
The plan also includes two entrances to the port, one at the northern end primarily for fishermen and staff, and one at the southern end for visitors and users of recreational boats. Additionally, in the land part of the port around UP6, two parking areas of about 27 spaces each will be located for users of recreational boats, and the UP3 area will serve as a parking zone for the fishing port with around 40 spaces – as stated in the Environmental Impact Assessment Study.
This port project aims to meet local needs in terms of port capacity, protect the harbor basin and berths from wave intrusion, and prevent the transport of sediment along the coast (Great Beach) due to external works (breakwaters) – as mentioned in the document.
The fishing port basin will be constructed with two breakwaters, a northern one and a western (coastal) quay wall. The maritime structure of the port will be protected by a northeast-oriented breakwater extending approximately 166 meters. The breakwater is planned to have a vertical front part (quay wall) on the inner side. Furthermore, the port will be protected from the east by a breakwater (windward breakwater) extending 145 meters southward. The breakwater is planned to have a vertical front part (quay wall) on the inner side.
The northern side of the port is delineated by a quay wall approximately 117 meters long, serving both for berths and the outer side of the port, while on the western side of the basin, a quay approximately 124 meters long will be constructed, almost parallel to the coast and the existing small coastal road, extending from the existing pier at the end of Cape Đeran. On the southern side of the pier, a berm of stone embankment, approximately 60 meters long, will be executed.
Finally, it is suggested to first construct the coastal and northern part of the land to be used as part of the construction site. In this area, approximately 7,000 m², all necessary work on building concrete blocks for quay walls, as well as special protective blocks, will be carried out. An additional space of about 500 m² will be configured for temporary material storage.
