The three basic postulates that regulate sport fishing in Slovenia are the permitted capture of individual fish species, the protection period of fish and their minimum size. The content of these postulates was the starting point for regulations in Slovenian freshwater fisheries, and it still represents the core for fish protection today.
Conservation periods and minimum sizes are older than we might think. They have been known in Slovenia since at least 1506. At that time, Styrian fishermen imposed a ban on fishing for grayling and huchen in March. Trout fishing was not allowed fourteen days before 13 October and fourteen days after that. Bullheads were also fished, the measure for it was set at the length of a man’s finger (albeit approximately, as it is not clear exactly how much this is).
Similar orders were issued in other lands somewhat later. In Carinthia, the fishing order was formed in 1577 and 1632. Protection periods and minimum sizes for trout and grayling were set.
In Carniola, the fishing order was issued in 1745 and 1746. It also prescribed the minimum size for pike, which was only 17 cm. In the 1764 fishing order, the minimum size was increased to 29 cm, and a minimum carp size of 16 cm was introduced.
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