France set to require amateur sea fishers to declare key catches
Recreational fishers who go into set zones in a boat would need to register specific catches in bid to protect fish numbers
Multiple sea zones would be covered under the new regulations
Rifal Mafaza/Shutterstock
Amateur sea-going fishers in France will soon need to declare certain types of fish they catch, under new plans that aim to protect fish stocks.
All catches of hake or pollock (merlu or colin, often known together as lieu jaune), sea bass (bar), bluefin tuna (thon), and two types of sea bream (dorade rose and dorade coryphène, sometimes called mahi-mahi) will need to be declared to authorities.
The new measures, set to be implemented on January 10, 2026, are based on European regulations from 2023 that the Ministry of Ecological Transition needs to comply with.
The rules apply to amateur fishers going out into open waters in any type of boat. Professional fishing vessels are already required to declare their catches.
Up to half a million people in France fish recreationally using a boat, according to statistics from FranceAgriMer.
The plans are set to undergo a public consultation in early October, and barring no major changes, will come into force at the start of next year.
They must first be approved by the incoming government of new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu via a decree.
Further details on how catches must be declared will be given by decree but online declarations through a dedicated website are expected.
More additions to list likely
The declarations will depend on the zone the fish are caught in.
For example, hake/pollock, and sea bass from the English Channel or Atlantic Ocean must be declared, tuna and dorade rose from the English Channel, Atlantic, or Mediterranean, and dorade coryphène from the Mediterranean.
These fish are all either protected species or are subject to fishing quotas to prevent overfishing.
However, this initial list is likely to be slowly expanded after the rules come into force.
None of the fish set to be included in the initial decree are caught in rivers or lakes – popular spots for amateur fishers – but these species may be added in future iterations with rules expanded.
“A better understanding of the recreational sea fishing sector is a key issue, whether it involves documenting the population of fishermen concerned or the harvesting of fish stocks,” said the Ministry to AFP.
The aim of the measure is to “strengthen the sustainable exploitation of resources,” from these seas, it added.
