Copyright and Licensing Guidelines

Authors must include a dedicated Copyright and Licensing section in their submission. This section must clearly state the following information:

Creative Commons Licence

Licence Type: State the specific Creative Commons licence used by the journal: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license.

Description of Licence Terms

Permitted Uses: Users are allowed to share, copy, and redistribute the material in any medium or format, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the journal.
Restricted Uses: The material cannot be used for commercial purposes. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.

Copyright Ownership and Retained Rights

Copyright Holder: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb
Retained Rights: Detail the rights retained by each party. Authors retain the right to use their self-archived versions for non-commercial institutional repository purposes, while the journal retains the exclusive right of first publication.

Peer Review Process & Editorial Policies

All published articles undergo a rigorous peer-review process. The process begins with the manuscript submission and an initial editorial assessment. During this editorial screening, the Editor-in-Chief evaluates the manuscript's alignment with the journal's scope and basic technical requirements.

If the manuscript passes the initial screening, the editorial team initiates the reviewer selection process. A minimum of two independent peer reviewers with relevant scientific expertise are invited to evaluate the manuscript.

The journal follows a single-anonymized review model (single-blind), where reviewers are aware of the authors’ identities, while authors remain unaware of the reviewers’ identities to ensure anonymity during the evaluation.

During the active review process, reviewers are not financially compensated for their work on behalf of the journal. The peer-review process is conducted on a voluntary basis, in line with academic tradition and the shared commitment to upholding the quality and integrity of scholarly publishing.

The Journal strictly adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, jointly published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Authors and reviewers can access the full statement of these principles here: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/principles-transparency-and-best-practice-scholarly-publishing

The Journal adheres to the principles and ethical standards outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Reviewers and authors are highly encouraged to familiarize themselves with these principles by accessing the official COPE Core Practices at: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

Authors are fully responsible for the integrity and originality of their submissions. Each manuscript must be accompanied by a signed cover letter affirming that the work complies with the internal policies of their affiliated institutions and that it has not been submitted elsewhere. All submissions are subject to thorough checks, and in cases of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or duplicate submission, the Journal will act in accordance with COPE guidelines, ensuring that all relevant parties are duly informed.

Principles Peer Reviewers Should Adhere To:

Review all articles objectively, without bias or favouritism based upon the origin of the article, gender, race, national origin, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation or age of the authors, or commercial considerations. All evaluations must strictly comply with the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers, which can be viewed directly at: https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/cope-ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers
Review articles solely in subject areas in which they have expertise.
Before consenting to review an article, ensure sufficient time and resource availability to complete a comprehensive assessment of the article in a timely manner.
Decline to review articles that create a conflict of interest, or the appearance thereof, which can arise from the content of the article, its authors and/or its funders. When in doubt, peer reviewers should disclose the potential conflict of interest to the publisher and seek advice before proceeding with the review, following the COPE guidelines on undisclosed conflicts of interest available at: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/flowchart/undisclosed-conflict-interest-published-article
Provide reviews that are constructive and impartial, devoid of any hostile, inflammatory, libellous, unfair or unnecessarily derogatory comments, in accordance with the COPE ethical standards for reviewer conduct which can be accessed at: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers
During and after the peer review process, maintain the confidentiality of unpublished articles and refrain from discussing them with others.
Refrain from using research or information contained in unpublished articles for any purpose, including personal gain or the advantage or disadvantage of any other person or organisation.
Promptly disclose to an article’s editor that the article has not properly cited its sources, or contains errors or material omissions, allowing the editorial team to take action in line with COPE core practices for handling allegations of misconduct, accessible at: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/case/editorial-misconduct

Timeline and Decision-Making

The duration of the review process largely depends on the availability and responsiveness of the assigned Associate Editor and reviewers. While the standard expected timeline for completing reviews is three weeks, this period may be extended due to the reviewers’ and editors’ professional commitments. If an assigned Field Editor or reviewer is unable to take on the task, a replacement will be appointed, which may further influence the overall timeline.

Once the reviews are submitted, the editorial decision-making process begins. The Editor promptly evaluates the feedback and makes a decision regarding the manuscript’s potential acceptance. Following this, the manuscript revision procedures are initiated, where authors are required to address the reviewers' comments and submit a revised version. Based on the quality of the revisions, the Editor makes the final decision regarding final acceptance or rejection, adhering to the systematic workflows detailed in the COPE Flowcharts for journal editors, which can be found at: https://publicationethics.org/media/609/download?attachment

In cases where reviewers provide contradictory recommendations (e.g., one recommends acceptance while another recommends rejection), the Editor-in-Chief or the assigned Field Editor will carefully assess both arguments. Depending on the scientific merit of the comments, the manuscript may be accepted conditionally with a request for major revisions, rejected, or sent to a third, additional reviewer to secure a tie-breaking evaluation. Following this, the manuscript revision procedures are initiated, where authors are required to address the reviewers' comments and submit a revised version. Based on the quality of the revisions, the Editor makes the final decision regarding final acceptance or rejection, ensuring full compliance with COPE Council guidelines on editorial decisions and accountability, accessible directly at: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/cope-position/editorial-independence

The journal provides open access to all content free of charge, with no article processing charges (APCs), publication fees, or any other review-related costs for the authors.

Code of ethics

It is necessary to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing (authors, editors, peer reviewers, publisher).

The Croatian Journal of Fisheries ethic statements are based on the guidelines and standards developed and published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All papers submitted to Croatian Journal of Fisheries are handled according to the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers.

Croatian Journal of Fisheries is a member of Cross Check, a multi-publisher initiative for screen of published and submitted content for originality. By depositing published content and checking submitted manuscripts for plagiarism, Croatian Journal of Fisheries is actively committed to combat against plagiarism and devoted to publication of original research.

Name of journal - The journal’s title “Croatian Journal of Fisheries” is distinctive and clearly recognizable, avoiding any possibility of confusion with other publications. It accurately reflects its origin and scope, without creating misleading associations with other journals or organizations.

Website - The journal’s website is regularly maintained and supported, with strong attention to security to ensure user protection. All traffic runs through HTTPS. The site follows web standards and ethical practices in both content and design. It presents accurate information without misleading readers or authors and does not imitate the appearance or identity of other journals or publishers. When content from external sources is included, the original source is clearly acknowledged.

Publishing schedule - The journal clearly states its publication frequency and consistently adheres to it.

Archiving - The journal maintains a clear plan for electronic backup and long-term digital preservation of its content, ensuring continued access even if the journal or publisher ceases operations.

Copyright - The journal clearly states the copyright terms for all published content, which are separate from the website’s own copyright. The copyright holder is indicated in the full text of every article.

Licensing - The journal clearly displays licensing information on its website. Licensing terms appear on the full text of all articles. Open Access content uses an open license, and policies regarding the posting of author manuscripts or published articles in third-party repositories are clearly stated.

Principles to which authors should adhere - Original material should be presented in a manner that transparently shows the research process and fully reveals the value the research brings to literature. To ensure originality upon publication, the same article or research should not be submitted concurrently to more than one publication.

It should be ensured that any work presented as original is indeed original, which requires citations to be added for all or part of any work that originated with other authors, and quotation marks to be used for any text that originated with other authors. Plagiarized text must never be included in an article.

Sufficient detail, including raw data used to support the conclusions (if requested by a peer reviewer), should be provided in each article to enable professionals in the relevant field to attempt to replicate the findings and conclusions. Results of tests and other research should be presented directly and honestly in the article, without falsity, fabrication, or inappropriate manipulation. Fraudulent data or knowingly inaccurate statements must never be included.

Research for each article should be conducted in an ethical and responsible manner, in compliance with relevant legislation and applicable industry rules and guidelines. Retractions or corrections should be issued promptly upon the discovery or notification (and verification) of inaccuracies in an article.

A complete and accurate list of reliable sources should be included with each article submitted for publication to support all facts presented. All actual or perceived conflicts of interest, including those posed by any funding sources, should be disclosed in each article.

Accurate authorship attribution should be ensured for each article, with all listed authors having made significant contributions to the research and/or article, and all individuals who made significant contributions properly included as co-authors. Collective responsibility should be taken by the authors for all articles submitted and published. COPE Council

Editors ensure that any addition or removal of authors from a submission is justified and confirmed, with all authors meeting appropriate authorship criteria and no deserving contributors omitted. Changes are made only for well-documented reasons and with the agreement of all authors. Authorship disputes are generally not resolved by the journal but are referred to the authors’ institutions.

The journal does not publish any articles without confirmation from all listed authors. It is recommended that all authors register for correspondence with the journal. Publication without this confirmation is not permitted, as the journal will have no responsible contact if ethical issues arise after publication, and no author would have formally accepted responsibility for the content. (COPE Council)

The journal responding to suspected breaches of ethical standards is supported by COPE guidelines. The Editor-in-Chief is designated as the contact person for ethics inquiries and complaints. The editorial team focuses on the prompt correction of the literature, while institutions of authors or employers may be requested to investigate and monitor misconduct and apply disciplinary measures. When necessary, other journals or relevant institutions (authors, editors, reviewers) are contacted, and independent or legal advice is sought.

Principles to which peer reviewers should adhere - All articles should be reviewed objectively, without bias or favoritism based on the origin of the article, the gender, race, national origin, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation, age of the authors, or commercial considerations.

Articles should be reviewed only in subject areas in which expertise is conducted.

Before agreeing to review an article, it should be ensured that sufficient time and resources are available to complete a comprehensive assessment in a timely manner.

Articles that create a conflict of interest, or the appearance there of, should be declined for review. Potential conflicts arising from the content of the article, its authors, or its founders should be disclosed to the publisher, and advice should be sought before proceeding with a review if uncertainty exists.

Reviews should be provided in a constructive and impartial manner, avoiding any hostile, inflammatory, libelous, unfair, or unnecessarily derogatory comments.

Confidentiality of unpublished articles should be maintained during and after the peer review process, including refraining from discussing them with others.

Research or information contained in unpublished articles should not be used for any purpose, including personal gain or the advantage or disadvantage of any other person or organization.

Any instances of improper citation, errors, or material omissions in an article should be promptly disclosed to the article’s editor. For further information you can consult COPE Ethical Guidance for Peer Reviewers.

Ownership and Management - The journal clearly presents information about its ownership and management on the website. Organizational names are used accurately and do not mislead authors or editors about the journal’s ownership.

Advisory Body - The journal has an Editorial board or advisory body consisting of recognised experts in the fields defined by its aims and scope. The full names and affiliations of all members are listed on the website. The list is kept up to date, and members have confirmed their willingness to serve. The board is regularly reviewed to ensure its relevance and to avoid any association with predatory or misleading journals.

Editorial Team / Contact Information - The journal provides the full names and affiliations of its editors and complete contact details for the editorial office, including the full mailing address, on its website.

Author Fees - The journal does not charge any fees for submission, processing, or publication. All articles are published free of charge, and no fees or waivers influence editorial decisions.

Advertising - The journal does not accept any advertising. All content remains independent, and editorial decisions are completely free from commercial influence.

Direct Marketing - The journal does not engage in direct marketing or unsolicited solicitation of manuscripts. All information about the journal or publisher is accurate and transparent.

Croatian Journal of Fisheries

Ribarstvo

About the journal

Editor-in-chief

All volumes and issues in this journal

Volume 84 (2026)

Volume 83 (2025)

Volume 82 (2024)

Volume 81 (2023)

Volume 80 (2022)

Volume 79 (2021)

Volume 78 (2020)

Volume 77 (2019)

Volume 76 (2018)

Volume 75 (2017)

Volume 74 (2016)

Journal details

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