On 13 November 2024, the Forum on Recreational Fisheries and Aquatic Environment organised a Cocktail event - A toast to 'Reel' sustainable fisheries inside the European Parliament. This event was organised to relaunch the Forum for the 2024-2029 political mandate together with our new co-Chairs Members of the European Parliament Sofie Eriksson (Sweden, S&D) and Michal Wiezik (Slovakia, Renew Europe).
PRESS RELEASE
European Parliament Forum on Recreational Fisheries and Aquatic Environment
13.11.2024 – Brussels
Recreational Fisheries voice will be heard in the European Parliament for the next 5 years!
The European Parliament Forum on Recreational Fisheries and Aquatic Environment (“EP RecFishing Forum”) has officially been relaunched with a toast to “reel” sustainable fisheries, organised by its new co-Chairs Members of the European Parliament
Sofie Eriksson (S&D, Sweden) and
Michal Wiezik (Renew Europe, Slovakia) on 13 November 2024.
Many laws affecting the aquatic environment, fish stocks, and the quality of angling are decided by the European Parliament. This is why, since 2014 the EP RecFishing Forum:
- Acts as a link between the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and their 25 million EU angling constituents;
- Serves as a forum of discussion on issues related to the European Parliament (EP) agenda, such as the Common Fisheries Policy and the Nature Directives implementation, fishing tourism and other relevant issues; and
- Brings expert information to the MEPs from the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) and the European Fish Tackle and Trade Association (EFTTA) and their broad network of scientist
New RecFishing Forum co-Chairs MEP Michal Wiezik and MEP Sofie Eriksson will respectively be supporting its activities on freshwaters and sea matters. The recreational fisheries sector is indeed one of the few stakeholders having a holistic vision of the aquatic environment.
Approximately 25 million Europeans engage in recreational angling each year, contributing around 25 billion Euros annually to the economy. This low-impact activity supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, especially in rural and remote areas. But more importantly, it creates strong links among individuals in our fragmented societies.
The anglers are conservation-minded and actively participate in protecting and conserving fish stocks, waters, and the surrounding environment. Volunteers from the angling community dedicate numerous hours each year to conservation and restoration projects for our rivers and lakes.
Mark Owen, President of the European Anglers Alliance (EAA), mentioned the defence of the aquatic environment and biodiversity as the main challenge on which the RecFishing Forum will engage during this new EP mandate. From an industry viewpoint, Gerard Bakkenes, Chair of the European Fishing Tackle and Trade Association (EFTTA), insisted on the need to collect data at the EU level about the socio-economic impact of this leisure activity at the EU level both in marine and freshwaters.
A 2017 European Parliament report informed that Angling activities in the EU support over 100,000 full time equivalent jobs and generate an annual economic revenue for the recreational fisheries exceeding €10.5 billion. “
Despite that, decisions affecting the angling experience, the quality of water bodies and fish stocks continue to be taken without taking us into consideration – as if we didn’t exist. This is, we are not recognised as a full stakeholder of the Common Fisheries Policy.” said Bakkenes.
The RecFishing Forum and its supportive MEPs will continue to relay these messages and contribute to policy change in the European Parliament for the next five years.
From left to right: MEP Mr. Michal Wiezik, Gerard Bakkenes (EFTTA Chair), MEP Ms. Sofie Eriksson, Mark Owen (EAA President)
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