#TECM2520498AOrder of November 7, 2025, Specifying Conditions for Recreational Fishing in Maritime Areas
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
The law sets registration and reporting requirements for recreational fishers targeting certain fish species in French maritime areas. From January 10, 2026, fishers aged 16 and over must register online before fishing and report daily catches using provided applications. These rules apply both to residents and non-residents fishing in specified French waters.
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Key Changes
- Mandatory online registration for recreational fishers 16 and above before fishing
- Daily catch reporting required via specific applications
- Regulations apply to both residents and non-residents targeting listed species
Obligations
What this law requires
Recreational fishers aged 16 and over must register online at https://recreational-fishing.ec.europa.eu/ or via the RECFishing mobile app at least one day before fishing for listed species in specified French maritime areas, with registration valid for 12 months. Registration requirement effective January 10, 2026.
Recreational fishers must declare daily catches of listed species on the same day before 23:59, including quantities (measured by length to estimate live weight and individual count), geographic zone, fishing method category (embarked, underwater, shore/estuary), and fishing gear type.
In Mediterranean waters, all recreational fishers except wading fishers must register regardless of target species; wading fishers must register only if targeting listed species. Catchmachine app is mandatory in designated regulated zones and optional alternative to RECFishing in other Mediterranean zones.
Dormant fishing gear (nets, longlines, traps, baskets, weirs) must be clearly marked with durable tags of minimum 65mm width and 75mm length, affixed to the gear and buoys at specified locations, containing information identifying the fisher or owner.
Dormant fishing gear must be marked adequately to signal the presence of the gear at the water or ice surface.