The EU has launched a digital system called RecFishing to collect data on recreational fishing catches in all EU marine areas.
New requirements due to apply in 2026 will require 22 coastal EU countries to collect catch data for certain species and fish populations caught by people fishing at sea for leisure, the Commission informed in a statement on Monday.
It said it has developed a common digital system to support countries and limit costs for national authorities.
RecFishing includes a central EU server that receives aggregated catch data from national authorities, and a mobile app that allows recreational fishers to register and report what they catch.
Coastal EU countries will provide data through the system in a harmonised format, with submissions made monthly and annually for specified species and stocks.
The Commission said this is the first time recreational sea-fishing data will be collected at large scale across the EU. Countries will make the mobile app available gradually, depending on national timelines and readiness.
Mobile app rollout varies by country
Thirteen countries asked the Commission to create a single pan-European RecFishing mobile app — Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Sweden — while nine other coastal EU countries developed their own apps.
Each coastal EU country remains responsible for how the system is implemented nationally, including user guidance, support services, and the rules that apply in its territorial waters, the Commission said.
The strengthened data-collection requirements stem from the revised EU Fisheries Control Regulation, adopted in 2023 by the European Parliament and the Council.
Recreational fishing includes activities such as angling, spearfishing, hand gathering and using traps, and participation runs into the millions across the EU.
