30-11-2021 13:45
Public hearing on “Data collection and recreational fisheries”

Man fishing at the lake on sunset
Recreational fishing © Image used under the license from Adobe stock

Recent studies have estimated the importance of marine recreational fisheries (MRF) in Europe with 9 million people, or 1.6% of the population, participating, spending almost 6 billion euros, and fishing for around 77 million days each year. The size of the economic impact of marine recreational fisheries within Europe is significant enough to consider the development of a common and stable economic data collection program.

Marine recreational fisheries should be considered in the upcoming policy reforms as a specific sector alongside commercial fisheries and aquaculture under the Common Fisheries Policy. The hearing will expose the vast complexity of interests around the recreational sector and is a must hear.