Brussels wants to impose the same type of quota curbs in force against commercial fishermen to protect endangered species such as pollack, ling and even cod.

At the moment there are few restrictions on weekend anglers, but many of them now have powerful boats and are bringing back increasing sized catches which are sometimes sold onto the retail trade, according to officials..

The EU Commission has drawn up proposals to impose catching quotas on pleasure angling. Officials want these considered in allocating quotas to each nation, so that they would be deducted from what commercial fishermen are allowed catch. While details of the proposals are still being examined by interests in the sea angling sector, they would have a negative effect on the Irish angling industry, which is a major tourism economic asset.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said the future of sustainable fisheries required Europe to replace an inefficient system with one that could really produce results.

Under the plan each state would be given a quota for threatened species which would then be divided between commercial and recreational fishermen.

But the Angling Trust has described the move as a " monstrous and inevitably chaotic intrusion of policing into the sport of a million men, women and children " who contribute £1 billion a year to UK economy and support 18,000 jobs.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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