HOW CITIZENS CAN COLLECT AND HARVEST HERBS

Medicinal herbs are all around us. Medicinal herbs include plants, whole or only certain parts, that are used for the prevention or mitigation of health problems. Before you decide to collect medicinal herbs, you must be very familiar with the plant you plan to collect. In addition to its appearance, you should be familiar with the legal framework regulating the harvesting of plants.

The preservation of biodiversity and the prevention of the collection of protected plant species, as well as the uncontrolled collection of other plant species, are all accounted for in the provisions of several Croatian laws. This means that uncontrolled herb collection is not allowed because one must obtain a permit for it and if a person is caught collecting plants, a fine must be paid.
Provisions of the Forest Act, Nature Protection Act and the relevant subordinate legislation regulate the definition of medicinal plants, their usage, conditions for their collection and purchase, all related to the use of herbs in the integral forest-management area of Croatia.

Protected and strictly protected plant and animal species in the integral forest-management area may not be collected or purchased at all. Hrvatske šume d.o.o. shall undertake all necessary measures to prevent the harvesting, collecting and purchase of protected and strictly protected plant and animal species. The Ministry of the Environment and Energy, Directorate for nature protection, may allow the collecting protected species in locations where those species are not endangered, with the approval of Hrvatske šume d.o.o.

Forest products may be collected by local residents for their own use and by companies authorised to collect wild plants, berries and mushrooms for commercial purposes.
The Forestry Authorities may issue a permit for collecting plants and it regulates the manner, amount and time for collecting products from the forest area, as well as the price.
ATTENTION!
Collecting and harvesting any forest products without a permit from Hrvatske šume d.o.o. and other related documentation is considered a misdemeanour and fines may vary from 1,000.00 kn to 7,000.00 kn. With the controlled and responsible collection of forest products, you contribute to the conservation of plant species and the existing biodiversity and nature, which is the right and the obligation of all physical and legal entities.