The Generalitat has initiated the process of prior public consultation for the draft decree that will establish the guidelines for the management and utilization of fishery resources in the inland waters of the Comunitat Valenciana, as well as the regulation of inland fishing licenses, with the aim of updating the current regulations and reducing its complexity.
As stated in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV), until September 15, citizens, as well as interested organizations and associations, will be able to submit their proposals, opinions, and suggestions through the Generalitat's Participation Portal.
With this action, the Consell aims to define a common framework that makes the practice of fishing compatible with the preservation of aquatic ecosystems. At the same time, compliance with European obligations regarding the conservation and recovery of the European eel will be strengthened, and improvements will be introduced in the system for issuing inland fishing licenses, as indicated by the regional administration in a statement.
The new regulation will configure for the first time a comprehensive regulatory framework that will uniformly govern the management of fishery resources in the inland waters of the Comunitat Valenciana. This will leave behind the current dispersion of rules and will adjust the regulation to the existing environmental and legal requirements.
Additionally, the decree will add specific instruments for the planning and management of fishery utilizations. Among other actions, the classification of water bodies and the definition of different management regimes and modalities will be carried out.
Likewise, the regulation of technical plans for fishery management, repopulation activities, release protocols, and measures to be applied to invasive exotic species will be contemplated.
On the other hand, the future regulation will review the regime for issuing inland fishing licenses to adapt it to the agreement formalized with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food and with several autonomous communities for the application of the inter-autonomous hunting and fishing license in inland waters.
This change will allow for the simplification of fishing practices, avoid the repetition of administrative procedures, and improve the mobility of users between the autonomous communities participating in this agreement.
In addition, the decree will contemplate different modalities for the duration of fishing licenses, with the aim of adjusting them more flexibly to the needs of fishermen and facilitating access to this activity.
Protection of the European eel
Among the most relevant elements of the new regulation is the incorporation of the necessary measures to adapt the regional regulations on the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) to the legal framework of the European Union.
In this way, actions aimed at the conservation and recovery of this species will be intensified, whose current conservation status is unfavorable and makes the adoption of specific protection and management measures essential.