“Minister Lollobrigida, responding in the Chamber to a question about reducing the number of hooks required in longline sport fishing from 200 to 50 and prohibiting the use of automatic systems for recovering the tool, repeated the same positions which led him to justify the reasons for the decree which we believe to be wrong. A unilateral choice, considering that the previous provisions were in perfect harmony with community directives and scientific indications.”
This was declared by the democratic group leaders of the Agriculture commission, Stefano Vaccari, and of the Environment commission, Marco Simianiin the House.
“The minister – they add the deputies – compared thousands of sport fishermen, who operate honestly in the professional fishing sector, to those who operate illegally masquerading as sport fishermen, risking exacerbating the conflict between recreational fishing and professional fishing. It is not by limiting hooks that illegality and poaching are eliminated. We repeat what has been said on other occasions: the provision was issued without adequate involvement of Parliament and in the absence of prior dialogue or consultation with the parties and sports associations involved. The Minister has undertaken to convene a table with the sport fishing associations as soon as possible. We hope that the table will be convened as soon as possible to avoid involving professionals, recreationalists, professional and amateur associations that practice this ancient fishing system and which represent a heritage of high social and cultural value for the coastal communities of our country”.
