Industry urged to support trade and get behind EFTTA Summit

The body that represents the recreational fishing industry across Europe has emphasised the need for the trade to support its first-ever Summit.

The European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) is hosting the event later this month with the support of Felix Steinacker and his team, the organisers of the Angling World Berlin show, and is urging its membership to get behind the initiative for the good of the sport. The association’s Gerard Bakkenes (below) told Angling International: “If the industry does not unite it will come back to bite us.

“The planned summit is an excellent opportunity to meet up and create unity to ensure that we lobby and advocate with one voice and one direction. It is how we ensure a healthy future for recreational angling.

“There are many threats facing the industry and it is important that EFTTA presents a united voice that can influence the European Union (EU) at the very highest level. We have to confront the issues facing the sport together. I feel like a preacher in church when I stand up and say this, but EFTTA has to present a united front and attending the Summit is an important facet of this.

“The Summit should become an annual meeting place and an occasion where the industry is visual. It has always been our intention to launch an event like this, but it was pushed back by COVID.”

Since relinquishing responsibility for EFTTEX, its trade show, and following the move of the UK out of the EU, EFTTA has been busy restructuring itself as the standard bearer in the fight to ensure that recreational fishing has a voice at the very highest level of European government. This is at a time when it faces numerous threats and issues that include – among others – restrictions of the use of lead, Extended Product Responsibility (EPR) and the introduction of ‘green’ packaging.

The restructured EFTTA is now built around three pillars:

• Lobbying – Defending the sport at EU level
• Advocacy – Making the case for recreational fishing and its right to exist by emphasising the benefits of the sport for physical wellbeing and mental health
• Membership – the importance of being part of EFTTA and presenting a united front together

Bakkenes added that he was buoyed by the recent additions of national organisations within Europe which have joined EFTTA. These include GIFAP (France) and industry bodies from Sweden, Denmark and Hungary. “Having national organisations alongside us gives us the opportunity to represent Europe as a whole rather than have the voice of the region fragmented by individual countries lobbying in their own right. We stand more chance of success as a single body taking our fight to the EU.”

He is also calling on all those within the industry to join forces with EFTTA, including retailers. “There is a lot coming down the line and EFTTA can play an invaluable role in helping them negotiate these.”

Bakkenes said that he was also heartened by response from members of EFTTA which have already signed up for the Summit and was hoping to attract around 50 delegates to the first event of its kind. “We have already signed up nine speakers who will be covering topics that will include legislation and regulatory issues, sustainable angling practices, the social-economic impact of fishing, cross-border cooperation, angling ethics and social responsibility and the future of angling in Europe. The planned programme can be found on the EFTTA website as well as its Linkedin page.

“We believe that we have put together a compelling and worthwhile list of topics for discussion that will prove invaluable to our membership.”

The EFTTA Angling Summit takes place on Thursday, November 28th. Tickets – costing €200 each – are available through ANGLING WORLD BERLIN’s online ticket shop and includes the Dinner & Networking Night and a day ticket for the opening day of the Angling World Berlin 2024 show the following day.