SEA anglers are being consulted over European Commission proposals which could see some recreational catches counted against an EU state's quota allocations for the first time.

The Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network say they have been invited by the Scottish Marine Directorate to join other representative organisations to help formulate their response to the Commission proposals on the review of the EU's fisheries control regulation.

"Latest EU proposals up for consultation are to provide recreational sea angling with quota allocated to UK fisheries. This quota would be ring-fenced for recreational angling and will come from the commercial quota," the network say.

And the network (SSACN) say the Commission proposals would have a "direct effect" on the future of the recreational sea angling sector.

What the Commission are looking at would mean detailed monitoring of recreational fisheries as part of an overhaul of the EU fisheries control regime which would effectively move a leisure activity onto a much more formalised basis.

Steps being considered are:

Recreational fisheries on a vessel in Community waters on a stock subject to a multi-annual plan, including cod for example, would be subject to an authorisation for that vessel issued by the flag member state.

Catches in recreational fisheries on stocks subject to a multi-annual plan would be registered by the flag member state.

Catches of species subject to a multi-annual plan by recreational fisheries would be counted against the relevant quotas of the flag member state. The member states concerned would have to establish a share from such quotas to be used exclusively for the purpose of recreational fisheries.

The marketing of catches from a recreational fishery would be prohibited except for "philanthropic" purposes.

At a time when commercial quota shares are progressively being tightened more and more, any obligatory inclusion of the recreational sector into annual domestic share-outs of national allocations between sectors is likely to worry commercial fishermen.

On the other side of the coin, having Brussels-style fisheries management imposed on a recreational activity is also likely to cause concern.However, the Brussels move is in line with philosophy that the recreational sector has a growing status of its own and needs to be formalised and monitored effectively as well as acknowledged in terms of catch share.