Danish anglers call unrestricted netting of pike and perch ‘unsustainable’

The body that represents anglers in Denmark has called the unrestricted netting of pike and perch from lakes across the country as ‘unsustainable’.

Dansmarks Sportsfiskerforbund reports in its latest newsletter that the Danish Sports Fisherman’s Association (DSPA) is fighting to change the practice, which it says is without quotas or sufficient rules to stop overfishing.

The DSFA added: “We believe it is completely unsustainable and therefore we are fighting to change the legislation so that we can ensure healthy fish stocks and good fishing in our lakes. There are really no restrictions on how many nets can be placed in a lake and they can be there for ten out of the 12 months of the year. The law is so screwed that landowners can sell the catch. As long as there is a financial incentive there is always the risk that the opportunities will be fully exploited.”

The association added that in 2020 commercial fishing was practiced on seven Danish lakes and the results varied greatly. On Mossø, a total of 43kg of pike and perch were landed, while on Arresø that number was 21 tons which was sold at auction for approximately DKK 950,000. In total more than 30 tons of fish were taken from Danish lakes in 2020.

Picture: Dansmarks Sportsfiskerforbund