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After the restrictions on sea bass starting in 2015, then more recently on pollack and now eel, we're witnessing a veritable confiscation of species. The COPERE (Collectif des Pêcheurs Récréatifs), in a press release, denounces the words of the new minister in charge... Ignoring the nearly 3 million non-commercial fishers is a serious mistake.
Press release
COPERE denounces the unacceptable comments made by the Minister for the Sea: "Recreational fishermen are not second-class citizens" COPERE expresses its deep indignation at the statements made by Catherine Chabaud, Minister for the Sea and Fisheries, in her first interview with the newspaper "Le Marin".
Asked about future regulatory guidelines for recreational fishing (declaration of activity and catch), the Minister acknowledges the fact that by January 10, 2026, it will be compulsory to declare oneself, and asserts: "If decisions had to be made in the future, I'd say priority to professional fishermen, who make a living from this activity."
For COPERE, this statement is shocking
A decision already taken before the end of the democratic process
While the draft decree on recreational fishing (declaration of activity and catches) is still in progress, the Minister is taking the liberty of anticipating its outcome. "This is an insult to the very principle of public consultation and its 1,289 participants, whose opinions are clearly of no importance to the Minister", denounces COPERE.
Disdain for millions of churchgoers
By claiming to give "priority" to professional fishermen, the Minister is obscuring the existence of 2.7 million citizens who practice recreational fishing, not to mention those who fish on foot. "Madame Chabaud denies the fundamental right to practice one's hobby and to feed oneself freely and gratuitously from the sea's biological resources, legally considered as res nullius (belonging to no one). Her position is ideological and contrary to the spirit of the law", continues the collective.
A total lack of understanding of environmental issues
Unlike professional fishing, recreational fishing is selective and mostly non-lethal. Its practitioners often release their catches, while trolling gear and bottom trawls, which are forbidden to amateurs, destroy marine habitats and biodiversity.
COPERE calls on the Minister to tackle the real causes of the decline in stocks, for example:
- Trawling in marine protected areas
- Derogations granted in the three-mile strip
- By-catches and bypassed quotas
- In particular, the scandal of professional fishing for eels and elvers, a species in danger of extinction.
"We call on Madame Chabaud to move away from a corporatist vision and fully assume her responsibility towards all users of the sea. Recreational fishing is a legal, educational, environmentally-friendly activity that generates jobs and tourism. To disregard it is to turn our backs on several million voters and an economic source worth a billion and a half euros. (source public debate 2023) - Patrick Valdivia, President of COPERE"
Recreational fishing, a major economic sector
Recreational fishing supports a dynamic economic fabric: retailers, manufacturers, fishing guide instructors, the boating industry, hoteliers and coastal tourism. In France, recreational fishing generates several billion euros in economic spin-offs, far more than professional fishing, which is over-subsidized.
