EU unconvinced on pan-European cormorant policy despite evidence

Despite evidence to the contrary, the EU is still unconvinced that apan-European management strategy is needed to combat the spread of fish-eating cormorants. At a RecFishing Forum meeting at the European Parliament, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources of Denmark (DTU Aqua), Niels Jepsen, provided facts about the effect of cormorants on some wild fish populations. He said that there are increasing difficulties in Denmark to fulfil its obligations in the Water Framework Directive because of failure on the requirement on healthy fish populations. He provided evidence on negatively affected fish stocks both along the coast as well as in freshwater – with documented impacts on eelpout, cod, flounder, eels, salmon and grayling.

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European ministers to decide on sea bass bag limit this week

It’s decision time this week on how many bass anglers across Europe will be able to keep in 2019. The European Council of Ministers and the European Commission will be discussing its strategy for the species at a meeting scheduled to take place on 17th and 18th of December. And the region’s top representative body for recreational fishing have called on a three fish bag limit in northern waters. EFTTA – led by Jan Kappel, its Public Affairs Officer – and the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) have published a position paper for sea bass in 2019 in which it appeals for a restoration of the rights of the public for a fair share of sea bass.

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European eel population facing extinction says EAA

The European eel population is threatened by extinction according to a major body representing the recreation fishing industry in the region.
The European Anglers Alliance (EAA) has published a position paper on EU eel management ahead of this week’s European Council meeting on measures to be taken in 2019 to help rebuild stocks.

EAA position – download here