The EP Fisheries Committee rewrote the rules on recreational fishing in its consultative report, adopted Tuesday, on a proposed "control regulation" to ensure compliance with common fisheries policy (CFP) rules.

A quick summary of the key parts of their press release.

Recreational fishing has dominated all discussion of the proposal. In some cases, recreational fishing may have a significant impact on fish stocks, said the rapporteur. "Is it fair to commercial fishermen to continue to allow recreational fishermen to fish with no controls whatsoever?", he asked, adding that "it would be discriminatory to subject commercial fisheries to strict controls and limits while largely exempting non-commercial fisheries".

MEPs adopted amendments rewriting the recreational fishing article to say that such fishing from a vessel in Community marine waters on a stock subject to a multiannual recovery plan "may be evaluated" by Member States.

But fishing with rod and reel from shore shall not be included, they added.

According to MEPs, recreational fishing means "non-commercial fishing activities (…) for recreation or sport and including, for instance, recreational angling, sports fishing, sports tournaments and other forms".

The committee also said that, within two years of the date of entry into force of the regulation, "Member States may estimate the impact of recreational fisheries conducted in their waters" and decide, with the Commission, "which recreational fisheries are having a significant impact on such stocks". For those with a significant impact, a "monitoring system that is able to accurately estimate the total recreational catches from each stock" will be developed.

Where a recreational fishery is found to have a significant impact, catches shall be counted against the relevant quota of the flag Member State. That Member State may then establish a share of the quota to be used exclusively for the purpose of that recreational fishery, said MEPs, adding that the marketing of catches from recreational fishing shall be prohibited except for philanthropic purposes.

Furthermore, fish released in recreational fisheries shall not be considered as discards or mortality for the purpose of this regulation.

END———–

The furore around Article 47 was simply due to the fact that it was a poorly thought out and badly crafted proposal which Joe Borg, EU fisheries commissioner, had to come out and admit that the potential impact to Scottish boat anglers had been an unintended consequence.

It would have been better if the whole article had been deleted and more mature though given to the issue, however, the Committee voted against deletion of Art 47 (11 votes in favour, 16 against) but adopted two amendments put forward  by Struan Stevenson (Cons) which were important to Scottish sea angling.

More updates as and when things happen, because this will run a while yet.

Related posts:

1. Sea Angling and the CFP – update
2. Delete Article 47
3. Fishing decisions to be de-centralised
4. EU vessels fishing illegally