Law on Fisheries No. 64/2012.

This Law regulates all fishery activities and their management and aims at ensuring the protection of the marine life and internal waters through promoting sustainable development in the maritime space and the internal waters. This law does not regulate matters related to food safety and fishery products, consumer protection and fish diseases which are regulated by separate laws.
This Law consists of 23 Chapters divided into 137 articles: General provisions (I); Fish and their protection (II); Structural policies (III); Decision-making authorities and consultative bodies (IV); Fishery policies and strategies (V); Fishing activities (VI); Fishing organizations (VII); Management of fisheries infrastructure etc. (VIII); Access to water and water resources (IX); Control of fisheries (X); Monitoring of fishing (XI); Collection, management and use of information (XII); Multi-year control plan (XIII); Fishing capacity (XIV); Control in areas with limited fishing regime (XV); Use of fishing gear (XVI); Control of the marketing of fish products (XVII); Unregulated and unreported illegal fishing (IUU)(XVIII); Close seasons (XIX); Inspection (XX); Sanctions (XXI); Appeal (XXII); Transitional provisions (XXIII).
The Law aims at: ensuring a rational and responsible use of biological resources of internal and marine waters of the Republic of Albania; establishing rules for the management and co-management of the fisheries sector through the involvement of relevant communities in decision making processes; identifying conservation measures to guarantee the protection of marine resources and internal waters; protecting aquatic species by prohibiting the catch of sharks, rays, cetaceans, red coral, etc.; encouraging and supporting scientific and technological research and data collection on fishing; providing for the operation and management of ports and fishing centers; providing a structural policy in order to restructure the fisheries sector, ensuring sustainable development of the sector, strengthening the competitiveness of developing economically valuable fishing entities, revitalization of areas that depend on fishing, as well as improving market supply and increasing the value of production; determining the necessary measures and rules for control, inspection and enforcement of fisheries policy, in full compliance with European policies in this regard; establishing a system for fisheries control and inspection; establishing standardized procedures coordinated at sea, on land and throughout the market chain.
The amending Law No. 4 of 2019 adds provisions on small-scale coastal fisheries in order to support them in terms of economic, environmental, and social aspects and encourage them for the establishment of artisanal coastal fishing organizations. In addition to that, Article 17 puts emphasis on integrating gender equality into structural policies, in order to promote equal opportunities between men and women engaged in the fisheries sector.