From 26 to 28 May 2025, six members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) visited Denmark for a parliamentary mission. During this mission, MEPs organised in Copenhagen a stakeholder meeting with NGOs, civil society and other organisations including representatives of the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) member Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund. The meeting marked a major opportunity to highlight the socio-economic and ecological value of angling to EU policymakers.
EAA ensures recreational fisheries are heard during PECH mission
The parliamentary delegation included Emma Wiesner (Renew Europe, Sweden), Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral (EPP, Portugal), Bert Jan Ruissen (ECR, the Netherlands), Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, Sweden), Asger Christensen (Renew Europe, Denmark), and Rasmus Nordqvist (Greens/EFA, Denmark).
In the lead-up to the mission, the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) maintained close contact with the organising team and key Members of the European Parliament to ensure that the interests of the recreational fisheries sector were duly considered. This engagement was particularly pertinent in the Danish context, where recreational fishing is deeply embedded in society, with around 10.3% of the population participating in angling each year.
As a result of these efforts, the EAA secured the participation of its Danish member, Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund, in the stakeholder meeting held on 28 May 2025 at the European Parliament’s Liaison Office in Copenhagen. The interests of the recreational angling community were presented by Mr Kaare Manniche Ebert, fish biologist at Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund and Secretary of EAA’s Freshwater Subgroup and Torben Kaas, chairman of the organisation Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund.
Bringing anglers' priorities to the attention of MEPs including focus on ecological balance & cormorant predation
During the meeting, Kaare M. Ebert shared serious concerns about the deteriorating ecological status of Danish rivers and the Baltic Sea — both vital ecosystems for recreational fishing.
He underlined that the angling community contributes heavily to society with the establishment of several nature-positive projects with a huge socio-economic value including:
- collection of litter
- restoration projects of mussel banks, eelgrass, etc.
- restoration of rivers and streams
- citizen science, education & integration projects
He also pointed to the growing impact of cormorant predation, which puts further pressure on vulnerable fish stocks. In his presentation, Kaare underlined that in Denmark, “The balance between cormorants and fish is completely off! We’ve witnessed up to a 90% loss in fish biomass in some of our finest and most pristine streams.(Hence why) we need a joint management plan, just like all other challenges that cross national borders”.
He therefore encouraged the members of the committee to support the ongoing work to establish a joint European management plan, which is currently taking place with financial backing from the European Commission.
Case made clear to MEPs: it's time to recognise Recreational Fisheries in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)
The current Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) largely overlooks the recreational sector, despite the sector’s vast contribution to nature conservation, community engagement, livelihood of remote coastal areas and other socio-economic benefits. EAA representative Kaare M. Ebert underlined in his presentation for more inclusive and proportionate management measures — such as fairer bag limits — and formal recognition of recreational fisheries within the CFP structure.
As regards the management of recreational salmon fishing, Kaare added that a bag limit of one salmon without adiposal fin per angler and day for sea anglers south of latitude 59.30 N should be introduced. This as well as the introduction of an ecosystem-based and adaptive management plan for salmon.
In the discussion, EAA representative Kaare M. Ebert (Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund) clarified that anglers are happy to comply with control requirements but cannot access funding for projects under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).
To conclude, Kaare underlined that recreational fisheries is a vital component of Europe’s blue economy and therefore deserves full recognition within the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) because:
It delivers high economic value per fish, especially as it generates often more economic value per kg than commercial fisheries
- It supports job creation and community resilience, particularly through tackle shops, boat rentals, fishing tourism, etc.
It promotes an ecosystem-friendly approach with a lower environmental impact, promoting healthier fish stocks and ecosystems;
It fosters public engagement in conservation through citizen science, education, and habitat restoration;
It holds significant growth potential for the livelihood of many coastal communities.
However, this potential is not fully understood at the EU level.
The most recent EU-wide socio-economic data on recreational fishing date back to 2017. These are now outdated, a message that was previously underlined by EAA Subgroup “Sea” chair Markus Lundgren (
Link).
A new EU-wide assessment is urgently needed to ensure evidence-based policymaking that reflects the current size, impact, and needs of the sector.
EAA welcomes provided dialogue and looks ahead
The European Anglers Alliance (EAA) greatly appreciated the opportunity to take part in this important exchange with Members of the European Parliament during the PECH Committee mission to Denmark. It was a valuable occasion to present our priorities and challenges directly to EU decision-makers, and to underline the essential role that recreational fisheries play in sustainable fisheries management, community development, and nature protection.
We look forward to continuing this dialogue and following up through our advocacy work in Brussels, particularly within the framework of the RecFishing Forum — the dedicated platform for structured dialogue between the European Parliament and the recreational fisheries sector.
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