Better data on the value and impact of recreational fisheries in Europe are vital to give recreational angling the place it deserves in the Common Fisheries Policy. That was the message transmitted in a seminar organised in the European Parliament by the Recreational Fisheries Forum.
The focus at this seminar called ‘Sustainable fisheries management and recreational sea fisheries: socio-economic value, data collection and data use in EU and US management’ on March 8 focused mainly on recreational sea angling - the biggest of the recreational segments measured in number of participants and economic impact. Europe’s 8 to 10 million recreational sea anglers spend on average about € 1,000 annually per person on their activity, an estimated total of 8-10 billion euro.
However, to this date the EU institutions have shown little interest in recreational angling. In the current Common Fisheries Policy, the recreational sector is not recognised or managed in its own right or on an equal footing with commercial fisheries and aquaculture. “This has to change”, Mr. Jean-Claude Bel (CEO of the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association) said. “Recreational angling is a sustainable activity of immense importance to European citizens and businesses. The recreational fisheries sector wants, and deserves, full recognition in the Common Fisheries Policy when it is up for revision, if not before.”
In this respect it is a hopeful sign that there will be conducted an important pioneer study on the value of recreational fishing and its impact on fish stocks and the environment as requested by the European Parliament. Although the budget allocated to this study is limited and its final outcome will be less than what is needed in future, it expectedly will set the direction for future studies. And if there consequently occurs a change in the EU Minister’s perception about recreational fisheries, the EU can benefit much more from this sector than it does today.
