We would like to see the coarse fish close season removed on all waters, including rivers, except where it is necessary to avert serious risk of damage to fish stocks. For canals this should be done as soon as possible. Coarse fish are almost invariably returned to the water alive, so rules on angling for coarse fish are not intended to limit exploitation, unlike those for such species as salmon and eels. Nevertheless, we believe that there is a continuing need for rules on angling for coarse fish. The same applies also to trout, although special consideration should be given to wild brown trout.
Eels appear to be in serious decline.
As all eels in Europe form part of a single stock, we urge the development of a Europe-wide stock recovery plan involving measures to reduce exploitation of eels at all stages of their life cycle as soon as possible. We would also like to see the introduction of a ban on fishing for elvers other than in rivers in estuaries where it is currently practiced and a number of other changes made to current legislation to improve information on catches of eels and controls on exploitation. However, the credibility of conservation limits is entirely dependent upon the reliability of the data used to establish them and the rigour of the supporting analysis. For this reason conservation limits need to be subject to continued review and development and be updated as necessary. There needs to be close consultation of local interests in the development and in the implementation of conservation limits.