Montenegro’s maritime sector is a shadow of its former self, with the national strategy for development (2020-2030) struggling to meet its targets due to inconsistent government policies, particularly in staffing at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. Despite efforts to develop maritime industries like shipping, port services, education, and marine tourism, the country is far from achieving the goals set in the strategy.
The strategy, initially praised for promoting a blue economy, had aimed to grow Montenegro’s national fleet and improve port operations. In 2018, the country had 142,000 gross tons of national fleet; the target for 2025 was 240,000 tons. However, by the end of 2023, the fleet had shrunk to 113,046 gross tons, with no new major ships added. The country still operates just four ocean-going ships, a significant decline from 1992 when it had 43 ships totaling over a million tons.
In terms of port activity, the strategy aimed for a throughput of 2.59 million tons at the Port of Bar by 2025, but recent data shows only 1.39 million tons were handled in 2023. Similarly, the projected number of yacht registrations and container traffic has not been met.
A major issue has been frequent leadership changes at the Ministry, with ministers having little expertise in maritime economics. The lack of focus on maritime industries has resulted in declining infrastructure, with outdated transport networks and inefficient port operations. Furthermore, Montenegro’s shipbuilding industry has deteriorated since the closure of major shipyards, with minimal effort to support smaller local shipbuilders.
The strategy also planned for more port service concessions, but the number has decreased. Additionally, the country faces issues with maritime safety inspection, having reduced the number of maritime safety inspectors from four in 2018 to just one currently, far below the goal of ten by 2025. The overall situation reflects significant setbacks in Montenegro’s maritime industry, with many planned developments stalled or unmet.
