Four recreational fishing associations challenge mandatory use of PescaREC before Supreme Court

Four recreational fishing organisations have filed an appeal before Spain’s Supreme Court against PescaREC, an app promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to comply with the monitoring obligations established by the European Union.

The appeal, brought by the Mallorcan Association for Responsible Recreational Fishing, the Responsible Fishing Al-Andalus Association, the Catalan Association for Responsible Fishing, and the Galician Federation for Responsible Sea Fishing and Recreational Boating, challenges Royal Decree 214/2026 on the grounds that it imposes administrative burdens in Spain that recreational anglers in France, Italy and Portugal do not face.

The organisations argue that the dispute is not about the need to gather catch data or the conservation goals for marine resources. In fact, they maintain that recreational fishing has collaborated for years in citizen-science initiatives, species monitoring and data collection. Their disagreement instead concerns the method Spain has chosen to implement the European requirements.

According to the associations, the European Commission already provides RecFishing, a shared platform designed to facilitate consistent data collection among Member States. Spain, however, has developed PescaREC as a compulsory national tool, an approach which, in the claimants’ view, has not been sufficiently explained by the authorities.

The appeal questions why Spanish anglers should have to comply with additional or more complex procedures than those applied in neighbouring countries using the EU system. It also highlights practical uncertainties surrounding the app, including which species must be declared, how fish released back into the sea should be recorded, and the obligation to report certain incidents, among other issues.

The organisations are also calling for greater involvement from the sector in shaping a regulation that affects thousands of users, clubs, federations, charter companies, marinas and businesses linked to nautical activity. In their view, the rules should have been preceded by a broader consultation process and an initial adjustment phase aimed at informing and supporting anglers before sanctions were imposed.

The associations further warn that making a mobile app compulsory could make recreational fishing more difficult for people with limited digital confidence, older users, or those fishing in areas with poor connectivity.

They also request clarification on how the information collected will be handled, particularly regarding location data, fishing areas, users’ habits and the access that public authorities may have to those records.

As an alternative, the claimants propose that Spain examine the integration of RecFishing into its national system, or that PescaREC be simplified and restricted to the requirements strictly mandated by current legislation. They also call for clear procedures, alternatives for people unable to use digital tools, and an ongoing dialogue with the sector.