PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, 15 November 2002

Europe’s 25 million anglers demand equal rights to commercial fishermen

·        The recreational sector backs reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy to restore sustainable fisheries but insists on equal representation in the reform process. 

·        Our size and socio-economic importance dictate that we should be recognised as a stakeholder group of equal importance to that of commercial fisheries and aquaculture

Brussels, Belgium - For the first time in ten years the legislation on EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is under a radical overhaul. Very important chapters concerning the future management of Europe’s fisheries and seawaters are being negotiated by EU fisheries ministers and will possibly be concluded by the end of this year. The signatories of this press release do support strongly the EU Commission’s proposals for a reformed CFP but consider the proposals the bare minimum needed to move the CFP towards sustainability.

Three presidents representing Europe’s 25 million anglers and an industry worth an estimated 25 billion Euros met Tuesday with Members of the European Parliament, officers from the European Commission and the European Council in the Committee on Fisheries. The presidents were invited by MEP Struan Stevenson, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries to give a presentation to his committee.

Louis Tchertoff, President of the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) brought with him impressive figures on the European Recreational- and Sport Fishing Sector:

There are, within the European Union 2,900 companies, (manufacturers, and wholesalers) trading in recreational fishing tackle and representing 60,000 jobs. These 2,900 companies make an annual turnover of 5 billion Euros. The fishing tackle trade serves 25 million recreational fishermen representing 6.5% of the total EU population through 12,900 tackle shops that employ another 39,000 people. 25 Million recreational fishermen spend an estimated 25 billion Euros per year on equipment transportation and lodging in the 15 EU countries! Figures from Northern Europe demonstrate that one salmon caught by commercial fishermen is worth 10 Euros to the local economy. One salmon caught by recreational fishermen is worth 8000 Euros to the local economy!

In the proposals to ministers from the EU Commission the Recreational- and Sport Fishing is only offered token representation. Two sectors, Commercial Fisheries and Aquaculture, outweigh all other stakeholders. This has to be changed if the CFP stands any chance of turning the huge failures of the past into a sustainable future.

“The vague position offered us in the new CFP is not helpful to the marine environment and it certainly does not reflect either the millions of recreational anglers (and voters) in Europe or the massive business they generate,” says Harm Minekus, President of the European Anglers’ Alliance (EAA),“The Recreational- and Sport Fishing is unusual in that it is sustainable whilst making a huge socio-economic contribution. This puts us in a separate category half way between the commercial fisheries and the conservation NGOs. But our very size and socio-economic importance and the need to turn the EU fisheries policy from failure to sustainability dictates that we should be recognised as a stakeholder group at least of equal importance to that of Commercial Fisheries and Aquaculture.”

In existing EU legislation recreational- and sportfishing is only considered if its activities impose a threat to the commercial fishing!

“The sad irony is that recreational- and sportfishing have never been a threat to commercial fisheries; on the contrary Commercial Fisheries have for many years disturbed and damaged recreational- and sportfishing”, said Mr Marcel Ordan, President of the International Federation of Sea Anglers (FIPS-M). “For more than a decade supertrawlers have overfished our common heritage, the fish stocks, to the brink of collapse.  We have experienced first hand the massive decline in fish stocks.  And we are prime witnesses that those fish left in the seas have become smaller and smaller due to overfishing.” insists Mr Ordan.

Recreational- and sportfishing is one of the largest, if not, the largest pastime in the EU. But the EU seems - or chooses - not to care. All three Presidents call for the EU to recognise the important socio-economic contribution of the recreational and sport fishing sector by granting representation within the CFP as stakeholders equal to the Aquaculture and commercial fishing sectors. This is an essential part of the process of change if the CFP is to stand any chance of turning the huge failures of the past into a sustainable future.

Delegation:       Harm MINEKUS, President of the EAA         

Louis TCHERTOFF, President of the EFTTA

Marcel ORDAN, President of the FIPS-M

For further information and photos contact:

Jan Kappel, Secretary-General, EAA          Tel: +32 (0) 732 0309, GSM: +32 (0) 498 84 05 23

Janet Doyle, Manager, EFTTA        Tel: +44.20.7253.0777

EAA * 82 Rue F. Pelletier * B-1030 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: + 32 (0)2 732 0309 * Fax: + 32 (0)2 736 2858 * Mobile: + 32 0498/840523 * E-mail: eaa.aepl@skynet.be