Last updated: 14 July 2026 · Version 2026-05-28
This Privacy Policy explains how the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries — Directorate of Fisheries ("we", "the Ministry", "the Controller") processes personal data collected through the Trapula mobile application ("the App") when you report suspected illegal fishing activity. We process personal data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and the Croatian Act on the Implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation.
The controller is the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries — Directorate of Fisheries (address above). For any privacy question you may contact our Data Protection Officer at zop@mps.hr.
Trapula lets any citizen anonymously report suspected irregularities in marine and freshwater fisheries (e.g. unmarked fishing gear, sale of fish without traceability, catching fish and other aquatic organisms during closed season, fishing in prohibited areas, unauthorised fish shops, sale of catch from sport or recreational fishing). Reports are stored locally on the device and synchronised to our server when an internet connection is available.
| Data | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and videos you capture or select | Evidence of the reported activity | May incidentally contain personal data (faces, licence plates, vessel markings, persons). |
| GPS coordinates (optional) | To locate the reported activity | Only if you add a location. |
| Date and time of the report | To process and prioritise the report | |
| Device identifier (installation UUID) and device model | To group your reports across your devices, prevent abuse, and provide support | The UUID is app-generated, not the hardware serial. |
| App version and interface language | Technical processing and localisation | |
| Report description and report type (marine/freshwater) | The substance of your report | |
| E-mail address (optional) | Only if you choose to verify it, to link your reports across your devices | Never required to submit a report. |
| Record of legal-notice acceptance (version and time) | To demonstrate you were informed before use |
The App is designed so reports are anonymous towards other users and you are not required to identify yourself or create an account. However, technical data (such as the device identifier or content of photos/videos) may, if strictly required by law and by a competent authority, allow a device or person to be identified. Do not include your own identifying data in the description unless you want to.
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Receiving, reviewing and acting on reports of suspected fisheries-law violations, and forwarding them to inspection and other competent authorities | Performance of a task carried out in the public interest / in the exercise of official authority (Art. 6(1)(e) GDPR), based on national fisheries and inspection legislation. |
| Linking your reports across devices via a verified e-mail | Your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), which you may withdraw at any time by removing the e-mail link in the App. |
| Preventing and investigating abuse, false or malicious reports, and securing the service | Performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority (Art. 6(1)(e) GDPR). |
Personal data from reports may be made available to: the fisheries inspection and other inspection services of the Ministry; other competent state authorities where a violation is suspected (e.g. police, State Attorney's Office) strictly within their legal powers; and our IT processors who host and maintain the system under a data-processing agreement. We do not sell personal data and do not use it for advertising.
Personal data is stored and processed within the European Economic Area (EEA). We do not transfer your personal data to third countries.
We keep report data only as long as necessary for the purposes above and for the periods required by applicable fisheries, inspection and archiving rules. Reports that lead to no action and contain no evidentiary value are deleted or anonymised once review is complete. Device records and an optional e-mail link are kept while the device uses the App and are removed on request or after prolonged inactivity.
Under the GDPR you have the right to: access your personal data; rectification; erasure ("right to be forgotten"); restriction of processing; object to processing based on public interest or legitimate interest; and data portability where applicable. Because reports can be submitted fully anonymously, we may be unable to link a specific report to you without additional information from you (Art. 11 GDPR). To exercise your rights contact zop@mps.hr. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority, the Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP), Selska cesta 136, 10000 Zagreb, azop.hr.
We do not carry out automated decision-making, including profiling, that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you.
We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures (encryption in transit, access controls, audit logging) to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss or misuse.
The App is not intended for children. If you are a minor, use it only with the consent of a parent or guardian.
We may update this Policy; the current version and date are shown at the top. Material changes are indicated by a new legal-notice version, which the App may ask you to accept again.
Data Protection Officer — e-mail: zop@mps.hr. Controller: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries — Directorate of Fisheries, Ulica grada Vukovara 78, 10000 Zagreb.