EFTTA Petition on Sea Angling Licences

A sea angling license has been introduced in Portugal and has had a very bad effect on number of people going fishing as a result. Sales of tackle are down by as much as 60%.

In Portugal the funds raised from the license are used to subsidise the commercial fleet!!!

EAA will be sending a delegation to Portugal to lobby for change but have raised a petition as part of the struggle. You can support EAA by signing the petition here;

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/eftta-licences/index.html

The petition

The European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) believes that all revenue generated by EU governments from recreational angling and boating licences should go back to recreational angling and sportfishing.

In January this year, the Portuguese government implemented a new sea fishing licence law with catastrophic effects on the tackle trade in the country.

Sales of fishing equipment have fallen by up to 60%.

EFTTA is pressing for the law in Portugal to be changed - and does not want other countries to suffer the same fate.

EFTTA does not argue against any well thought-out licence scheme as long the revenue is spent on:

* More and improved access to fishing waters for anglers;
* Improved marine environment including a halt to the loss of aquatic biodiversity;
* And increased efforts to conserve and restore depleted fish stocks.

Often overlooked in the biodiversity debate is the urgent need for a change in fisheries management to secure a more natural and healthy age structure in exploited fish stocks - there are far too few big fish around to secure biodiversity.

By signing this petition you support EFTTA's continued pledge to safeguard the European angling community – anglers as well as businesses dependent on angling - by ensuring that all money raised from anglers for sea licenses is invested back in measures safeguarding and improving the right to go angling, more and better access to angling waters, healthy and plentiful fish stocks and a sound aquatic environment.