EIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries.
The EIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries was prepared in 2007 by the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) Working Party on Recreational Fisheries, involving experts and related stakeholders from Europe, North-America and Oceania. The EIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries (CoP) is intended to complement and extend the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. It serves as the core document that describes the minimum standards of environmentally-friendly, ethically-appropriate and – depending on local situations – sociallyacceptable recreational fishing and its management. The CoP contains the following articles: Nature and scope of the Code, Objectives, Implementation and updating, General principles, Environmental stewardship and ethics, Policy and institutional frameworks, Compliance and enforcement, Recreational fishing practices, Fish welfare, Stakeholder interactions, Management, Research, and Awareness, education and training. The CoP was endorsed by the twenty-fifth session of the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission, held in Antalya, Turkey, from 21 to 28 May 2008. Currently, a number of EIFAC member countries are actively promoting and disseminating this EIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries and it is expected that the Code will form the basis for international guidelines.