European Commission to introduce bass ban in 2018

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The European Commission has delivered a body blow to recreational fishing by banning anglers from take a single northern sea bass home in 2018.

The European Commission has dealt a body-blow to the recreational fishing industry by banning anglers from taking a single northern sea bass home for the table next year.

After an all-night meeting it has restricted angling for the species in the Celtic Sea, English Channel, Irish Sea and Southern North Sea to catch and release only. A lower daily bag limit will be enforced in the Bay of Biscay.

While not unexpected, the decision will come as a setback for EFTTA and the European Anglers Association (EAA) which had campaigned tirelessly against any such ban. It organised a petition, which was supported by over 16,000 signatures, calling for a rollover of this year’s measures into 2018 with regard to recreational fishing for northern bass.

This included no retention of bass for the first six months of the year and a one-day bag limit for the second half.