Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission
Continuation of the project on Baltic-wide assessment of
coastal fish communities in support of an ecosystem-based
management
Copenhagen, Denmark, 10-12 February 2015
Document title
Code
Category
Agenda Item
Submission date
Submitted by
Recreational fishing in Poland
4-2
INF
4 – Developing of monitoring and assessment tools
[Date Created]
Poland
Background
This document contains information on recreational fishing in Poland.
Action required
The Meeting is invited to take note of the information.
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FISH-PRO II 2-2015, 4-2
FISH-PRO II 2-2015, 4-2
Recreational fishing in Poland – Information for HELCOM FISH-PRO II
10-12.02.2015, Copenhagen, Denmark
Background
Fisheries management in Poland is under responsibility of the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rual Development. The Department of Fisheries directly supervises the work of three
Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorate (RMFI) in Gdynia, Słupsk and Szczecin (Fig. 1). They cover their
management of the entire Polish coast including internal Polish marine waters (lagoons, mouths of rivers,
harbor waters).
1. The RMFI in Gdynia has five field units, with two operate in the Vistula Lagoon from Frombork and
Sztutowo; the other three field units are in Władysławowo, Hel, and Gdynia.
2. The RMFI in Słupsk has four field units in Łeba, Ustka, Darłowo and Kołobrzeg.
3. The RMFI in Szczecin has six field units, with three operate in the Szczecin Lagoon from Szczecin,
Wolin and Trzebież; the other three units located on the open Polish coast, in Dziwnów, Świnoujście
and Mrzeżyno.
Regulations:
1. Law on Fisheries of 19 February 2004 (Journal of Laws no. 62, item 574)*
2. Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 9 July 2004 on the detailed
procedure and rules for recreational fishing and fishing licenses (Journal of Laws no. 164, item 1725
of 22 July 2004, with amendments)
3. Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 4 March 2008 on the minimum
size limits and protection periods of marine organisms and the detailed rules of implementation of
marine fisheries (Journal of Laws no. 43, item 260 of 14 March 2008)
*NOTE that since February 2015 a new Law on Fisheries of 19 December 2014 (Journal of Laws 2014,
item 1592) will be in force and new regulations will be developed
1) Is there any monitoring or recent surveys on the recreational fisheries in the Baltic Sea in your
country? Which method is used in the monitoring (questionnaires, numbers of licences etc.) and at
which frequency are the surveys carried out?
Currently in Poland a general monitoring of recreational fishing, including all allowed fishing methods is not
carried out. The National Marine Fisheries Institute in Gdynia is carrying out a board observer programme
(Multi-Annual Programme of Fishery Data Collection, responding to the requirements of the EU Data
Collection Framework - DCF). According to this, each year scientists attend in 12 organized fishing cruises on
board of fishing vessels. Catch (landings, discard), individual fish length and body weight are noted (Fig. 2).
Data are available since 2006. Additionally, the individual interview questionnaire method with participants
of the fishing cruises is applied. Results are discussed on the ICES Working Group on Recreational Fisheries
Surveys meetings.
So far the marine coastal recreational fishing was ignored, and their participation in the fishery marginalized.
Only the growing popularity of sport fishing in the sea in recent years made the institutions responsible for
issuing individual licenses came to appreciate the importance of this way of spending free time.
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2) Recreational fisheries catch and effort data starting from the beginning of 2000s (if available). If
there is no monitoring, please give a rough estimate of the recreational fisheries catches compared to
commercial fisheries?
Currently, the only available data is about a number of individual licences issued by each RMFIs and their
field units. The time range is different and refers to the beginning of 2000. With regard to catch statistics
from recreational fishing data do not exist. One license authorizes fishing in the entire Polish marine waters
and internal marine waters. Assuming that the angler buying a fishing license in the field unit is focused on
that particular area, it is based on the number or trend in the sale of licenses may be tempted to try to
determine the fishing pressure on the area. Nevertheless, this is a pretty bold assumption and the rule of
precautionary approach should applied.
3)
Which kind of licenses are needed for recreational fisheries?
Fishing licenses are issued by the Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorates and their field units, for a fee.
The license is issued for a period of one month or one year. Recreational fishing in Polish marine waters can
be done individually, ship owners or the organizer of the fishing event. License includes: - full name, place of
residence and address of the applicant, the period of its validity.
4)
Which gear types are allowed/used in the recreational fisheries?
Currently in Poland a rod fishing (coastal fishing, boat/belly boat fishing, organized cruises on board of fishing
vessels) and spearfishing are allowed. Recreational fishing with nets is not allowed.
5)
Most important target species
On the basis of expertise and information from online forums we can define the most important target
species:




Vessel fishing : cod (photo. 1);
Boat/belly boat fishing: sea trout, salmon, cod, garfish (photo. 2, 3);
Coastal fishing: sea trout, bream, eel, garfish, herring, flounder (photo. 4);
Spearfishing: no data.
6) Which management measures are used in the recreational fishery? Are there catch quotas,
minimum or maximum size limits for given species, restricted effort?
Currently exists limits of daily catch of each species per one angler, individual size limits for some species,
protected spawning seasons/areas and number of rods (one rod per person).
Catch quotas (per day/per angler):
1) 2 ind. total - salmon (Salmo salar L.) and sea trout (Salmo trutta m. trutta L.);
2) 2 ind. - eel (Anguilla anguilla L.);
3) 3 ind. total – rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walb.), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca L.), pike (Esox
lucius L.);
4) 5 ind. - tench (Tinca tinca L.);
5) 5 ind. - garfish (Belone belone L.);
6) 7 ind. - cod (Gadus morhua L.);
7) 10 ind. - bream (Abramis brama L.);
8) 5 kg - herring (Clupea harengus L.);
9) 5 kg - other fish species than listed in points 1-8, excluding round goby (Neogobius melanostomus Pallas,
1811).
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Minimum size limits (TL.):
1) vimba bream (Vimba vimba L.) - 30 cm;
2) bream (Abramis brama L.) - 40 cm;
3) perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) - 17 cm;
4) roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) - 20 cm;
5) pikeperch (Sander lucioperca L.) - 45 cm;
6) whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.) - 40 cm;
7) pike (Esox lucius L.) - 45 cm;
8) rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walb.) - 40 cm;
9) eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) - 50 cm;
10 cod (Gadus morhua L.) - 38 cm;
11) salmon (Salmo salar L.) and sea trout (Salmo trutta m. trutta L.) - 50 cm.
The minimum distance between anglers:
1) 20m - coast fishing, excluding spinning - 50m, and spearfishing - 100m;
2) 50m - boat fishing/belly boat fishing, excluding spinning - 150m.
Protection periods for fish:
1) salmon and sea trout from 15 September to 15 November in the 4-mile lane of coastal waters excluding
waters within the territorial jurisdiction of the Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorate in Gdynia;
2) pikeperch:
a) from 25 March to 10 May on the area to the west of the meridian 16° 40'00" east longitude, b) from 10
April to 31 May, on the area between the meridians 16° 40'00" and 19° 21'00" east longitude;
c) from 20 April to 10 June on the area to the east of the meridian 19° 21'00" east longitude;
3) shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus Mitchill, 1815) from 1 January to 31 December on the area of
the Polish territorial sea and Polish exclusive economic zone;
4) eel from 15 June to 15 July on the area of the Polish territorial sea and Polish exclusive economic zone.
7)
Significant changes in recreational fisheries or catches during recent decades?
On the basis of available information on the number of issued licenses and its interpretation, it is observed a
rising popularity of recreational fishing in the Polish marine waters (Fig. 3-6). Until the mid-90’s, the vast
majority of anglers fished in inland waters. Availability of specialized equipment, fishing methods and the
improvement of access to information (internet) means that the importance of in marine waters in Poland
will increase. Probably in the same time the accessibility of infrastructure necessary for the sport will
increase. Disturbing phenomenon is increasing conflict between anglers and professional fishermen. Anglers
blame the fishermen set nets in the protected areas, while fishermen complain of anglers who destroy (by
hooking) the nets while fishing from a boat. Unfortunately, in this case the source of the conflict is the lack
of cooperation and dialogue between the two groups.
Currently developed new Law on Fisheries of 19 December 2014 (Journal of Laws 2014, item 1592) provides
a number of changes in the sport (recreational) fishing in the Polish marine waters. It implies significant
pricing of fishing licenses and the rules of reporting the catch. According to the new law, anglers (skippers)
which use a boats for fishing and be focused on fishing for cod and eel, have to prepare an appropriate report
containing: fish species, landing, date, number of used rods, fishing area. It must be done before entering the
port. Paper version of logbook (report - it is still not specified) should be delivered to the particular RMFI no
later than the day following the day of fishing. Poland is a first country in Europe which has provided this
legacy. Generally, it is recommended that a more liberal approach to recreational fishing in Poland.
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Fig. 1. Territorial coverage of particular Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorates: in Szczecin, in Słupsk and
in Gdynia (Author: Lena Szymanek).
Fig. 2. Median distribution of cod length (cm) measured by observers during organized fishing cruises on
board of fishing vessels, in the period 2006-2014 (source: NMFRI in Gdynia).
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FISH-PRO II 2-2015, 4-2
40000
Number of licenses
35000
Szczecin
30000
Słupsk
25000
Gdynia
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Year
Fig. 3. Number of individual fishing licences issued by particular Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorates,
in consecutive years. *RMFI in Szczecin data available since 2010. (source: RMFI in Gdynia, RMFI in Słupsk,
RMFI in Szczecin)
Number of licenses
8000
Szczecin
7000
Dziwnów
6000
Świnoujście
5000
Wolin
4000
Trzebież
3000
Mrzeżyno
2000
1000
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Year
Fig. 4. Number of individual fishing licences issued by Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorates in Szczecin,
divided into particular field units of RMFI Szczecin, in the period 2010-2014 (source: RMFI in Szczecin).
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Number of licenses
2500
2000
Słupsk
Ustka
1500
Łeba
Kołobrzeg
1000
Darłowo
500
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Years
Fig. 5. Number of individual fishing licences issued by Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorates in Słupsk,
divided into particular field units of RMFI Słupsk, in the period 2004-2014 (source: RMFI in Słupsk).
6000
Sztutowo
Gdynia
Władysławowo
Frombork
Hel
RMFI HQ
Number of licenses
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Year
Fig. 6. Number of individual fishing licences issued by Regional Maritime Fisheries Inspectorates in Gdynia,
divided into particular field units of RMFI Gdynia, in the period 2004-2014 (source: RMFI in Gdynia).
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Photo. 1. Cod fishing on board of fishing vessel (Author: Adam Lejk).
Photo. 2. Boat fishing (trolling) for sea trout on the Puck Bay (Author: Adam Lejk).
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Photo. 3. Belly boat fishing for sea trout on the open coast (Author: Adam Lejk).
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Photo. 4. Fly fishing for garfish on the Puck Bay (Author: Tomasz Marzec).
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