Report of the Working Group on Recreational Fisheries Surveys (WGRFS)

The Planning Group on Recreational Fisheries Surveys (PGRFS) has been renamed Working Group on Recreational Fisheries Surveys (WGRFS). The inaugural meeting was hosted by IMEDEA, Esporles, Spain 7–11 May 2012.

A key objective for WGRFS is to supply recreational fishery data and estimates into the ICES stock assessment and advisory process, operating within the ICES Quality Assurance Framework and responding to the requirements of the EU Data Collection Framework (DCF) and other drivers. As such, WGRFS is a forum for the planning and coordination of recreational fisheries data collection and analysis, and for sharing knowledge and discussing new ideas. The WG builds extensively on experiences gained within and beyond the EU, and participants in 2012 came from most European member states (12), as well as, Norway, USA and Australia. Altogether 27 participants contributed to the meeting, including two representatives of European sea angling stakeholder groups.