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From 1st January 2007, recreational fishing in Portugal will have new rules, including requirement of a licence, limitation of quantity caught, specific species, set locations and adequate skills. The measures have already come into force, but fines will be levied only from the abovementioned date, to allow time for adaptation.

According to information advanced to Lusa Agency by the Secretary of State for Fishing, Luís Vieira, the fines can range from 250 to 2,500 euros for individuals and 25 thousand to 30 thousand for groups.

Despite the value of each licence not yet having been defined, the method to obtain these will be simple and immediate, through the multibanco, with the ticket serving as a licence, stated the same authority.

As well as this immediate and disposable licence, the recreational fishermen with free time for bureaucracy can obtain their permanent licence from the harbourmasters and regional fishing departments.

In respect of the quantity captured, the new diploma prohibits more than 10 kilos per day for each fisherman fishing on land, for the majority of species, and two kilos in relation to crustaceans. For boats, the maximum possible is 25 kilos. Marine turtles, shad, sturgeon, lamprey and salmon are prohibited species.

Prohibited zones include fishing ports, marinas, sandbars and access channels, amongst others. All these rules, according to the Government, are aimed "at the conservation and rational management of resources".

source: regiao sul