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After creating your EU Login ( read the article here ), you must register as a recreational angler. The application RecFishing is the official medium for recording and declaring catches for marine leisure fishing.
Download application
RecFishing is available free of charge on smartphones from February 12, 2026 :
Search for "RecFishing" on :
- Android: via Google Play Store
- Apple: via the App Store
If you can't find what you're looking for :
On Android : https://play.googl...
On iPhone : https://apps.apple.com/dk/app/recfishing/id6...
Click on "Install".
First step on the application and login with EU Login
When you open the RecFishing application, you must :
- click on Continue the blue button at the bottom,
- click on Connection ,
- At the top, click on " English (en) "and choose the language french (fr) ",
- Click on " Login with the Eu Login mobile application ",
- Enter your 4-digit PIN code or use the biometric borrowing (one click is enough),
- Select the country in which you mainly fish: here France.
The application is ready to use.
Register as a recreational angler
Once you have logged in, you are registered. Registration is compulsory according to the conditions defined by each maritime facade. It is valid for 12 months .
This can be done at any time before a fishing trip. But given the time-consuming steps involved in logging on for the first time with the EU Login application, it's best to do it quietly now.
Confirmation is sent electronically. This authorization can be printed out if required.
Declare a capture
The declaration concerns sensitive species subject to management measures .
European regulations authorize the declaration within 24 hours of capture .
But on the application, to declare a capture, you must first start a fishing session with a timer that measures the duration of the fishing trip. It seems, therefore, that the application has been developed primarily to start the timer at the very beginning of the fishing trip.
If you forget, you can start the session on return from fishing by selecting the fishing start time.
Be careful, once confirmed, the capture declaration can no longer be modified . I think it's a shame that there's no right to make mistakes. A modification period of even 30 minutes would make it possible to rectify a data entry error concerning fish size or species. This increases the risk of errors in the statistics.
The information requested is :
- place of capture (geolocation, or if you refuse, click on the map),
- species,
- fishing gear (e.g. "Rods and lines"),
- Fishing mode (e.g. "From a ship),
- Quantity,
- Size (size is sufficient, an approximate weight appears, e.g. for a 55 cm bass, the estimated weight is 1.7 kg).
During validation, only the iCES/FAO statistical area is sent. The exact position of the plug remains stored locally on the phone.
Each fisherman declares only the catches he has personally made.
Once you have declared your catches, click on " End Fishing Session "at the top of the screen.
In the Mediterranean, where Catchmachine is already mandatory in some marine parks, no double declaration is required.
Need help with the RecFishing application?
In the event of any difficulty in registering or declaring via RecFishing, a support service is available in France. Anglers can contact support by e-mail at the following address assistance.recfishing@mer.gouv.fr .
