Representations were made late last year by recreational anglers from La Linea regarding the difficulty of recreational boat fishermen, who were happy to obtain Gibraltar licences, to be able to fish. They were only able to do so for two weeks at a time, which could coincide with poor weather.

These points were under consideration by the Department of the Environment and the Gibraltar Fishing Working Group, and were raised again yesterday by representatives from the recreational boat fishermen, who accompanied Salvador de la Encina and Miguel Tornay at a meeting with Environment Minister Dr John Cortes and representatives from the Department of the Environment and Climate Change. A full and productive discussion was held and recommendations made.

The matter was subsequently discussed at a meeting of the Fishing Working Group, which had been scheduled to meet yesterday evening. The Fishing Working Group have since recommended to the Minister that the period for which temporary boat fishing licences are given should be extended and that there should be a catch limit of 5kg plus one fish per angler. The Government says that these recommendations have been very positively received by the recreational fishermen.

The process of implementing these recommendations will now require a small amendment to the Marine Protection Regulations, following the statutory consultation with the Nature Conservancy Council. 

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