In its proposal for a Council Regulation fixing the fishing opportunities for Atlantic salmon (and other fish stock) in the Baltic Sea for 2025, the EU Commission proposes to discontinue the possibility of recreational salmon fisheries except during the summer in the coastal areas in ICES subdivisions 29N to 31.
Recreational fishing is not the driver for the bad state of some salmon river stocks and stopping recreational exploitation at sea, has no potential to significantly change the dire situation. It is unlikely that the situation of Atlantic salmon in the Baltic Sea will improve unless river habitats of poor stocks are sufficiently restored , and marine prey (e.g., herring and sprat) are managed adequately (ecosystem-based). Furthermore, the EAA calls for a review of the initiatives in the southern rivers of the Baltic Sea, where salmon stocks are threatened, to ascertain whether they are sufficient to achieve the set goals.
The European Anglers Alliance suggests the following regulations and actions concerning Baltic salmon for 2025:
- A bag limit of one salmon (excluding recent spawners) per angler and day for sea anglers south of latitude 59.30 N.
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Recreational trolling north of 59.30 N should be subject to member state regulation and not be unnecessarily regulated by a 4 nautical mile boundary.
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Preliminary results of the ongoing study of mortality of Atlantic salmon released after being caught via trolling should be considered.
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Regulations demanding landing of whole un-filleted fish should only be for salmonids (salmon and sea trout), not for other species such as pike, perch and pikeperch
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Utilise more EMFAF funding for the removal of fish migration barriers in the rivers.
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An ecosystem-based and adaptive management plan for salmon must be adopted.
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A Europe-wide program should be initiated to achieve a balanced European management of cormorants
More information
Visit here our 2024 position statement for more details
Visit here the full EAA response to the Commission’s Proposal
