A new regulation from the European Parliament and Council will mandate that fishermen track their catches through a mobile application.

Following the creation of a new European Parliament and Council regulation, starting in 2026, recreational fishermen will have to record their catches on a mobile app.

«[…] From January 2026, recreational fishermen must record and report their catches through an electronic system (in the form of a mobile application) to be developed by the Member State or European Union», reads a note from the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services (DGRM).

In Portugal, the electronic record of catches covers all types of recreational, leisure, sports, maritime tourism and underwater fishing, whether on land, from a vessel or submerged.

The application’s technical specifications are being discussed, and the European Union has created the Working Group on Recreational Fisheries, in which Portugal is represented.

This group includes technicians from DGRM, the Azores Regional Fisheries and Maritime Uses Inspectorate and the Madeira Regional Fisheries Directorate/Regional Fisheries Inspection.