The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has published a quick guide and a document of instructions for use for the new digital system with which recreational maritime fishermen will have to register their trips and report catches. Although the application is not yet available for download, the official documents allow to anticipate how the procedure will work when it is activated.
The publication of these instructions comes in a climate of doubts in the sector and with discomfort among recreational fishermen of Ibiza and Formentera by the implementation of the new system.
Here is a practical guide with the essentials: who should register, what data will need to be entered and how to declare retained or returned catches at sea, plus an important detail for those who don’t use a smartphone: someone else can do it on your behalf.
What is already known … and what is still missing
The official documents make it quite clear what data will be requested and how the declaration will be made, including the possibility of having a representative manage the process for the fisherman.
But the system still has two key unknowns:
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the application is not yet available in the download stores, although the guide has already been published;
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and the actual obligation depends on the publication of the corresponding order, so registration will not be enforceable until this framework is officially activated.
Who is the system aimed at?
According to the official guide, it is designed for people who practice recreational sea fishing in any of its modalities: from land, from boats, from floating devices or underwater.
The system also allows requesting specific authorizations linked to species subject to differentiated protection measures.
First step: create a user with your license
The Ministry explains that registration will be done from a mobile device when the application is available on Google Play and App Store.
To create the user, the fisherman must have at hand:
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your identity document (DNI/NIE/passport, etc.),
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and the maritime fishing license in force, with its number and dates.
The document adds a technical nuance: a user can only have one session open at a time, i.e. it does not allow simultaneous sessions.
The app does not always have to be used by the fisherman: a family member can do it for you.
One of the most relevant points of the guide is that access can be made by another person with the angler’s data.
The document indicates that the registration with a license “is also valid when another person (relative, friend, …) accesses directly with the data provided by the fisherman, as if he were himself”.
In addition, the guide dedicates a specific section to representatives and represented parties, so that a third party can add the fisherman and make statements “on behalf of the represented fisherman”.
This detail can be key for older fishermen or those who do not use smartphones, as it opens the door to delegate the process.
Set preferences: ports, gears, species and vessels
Upon entering the system, the Ministry recommends setting up preferences to speed up future declarations:
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usual ports,
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most commonly used gear,
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common species,
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vessels from which you fish (even if you are not the owner),
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and the possibility of uploading documentation (license, qualifications, etc.), although it is not mandatory.
What will you have to declare when you go fishing?
The guide describes a process for the declaration of catches with mandatory fields (marked with an asterisk).
Step 1: Basic output data
To start a declaration, select:
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modality/activity,
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license,
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port closest to the activity,
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capture zone (selected on a map),
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and the art used.
Step 2: Start and end time
It is also registered:
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start date/time,
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end date/time,
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and, if applicable, whether the activity is part of an authorized competition or marking day, indicating the authorization number.
Retained catches and by-catches (returned to the sea)
The system forces a distinction to be made between what the fisherman keeps and what he returns to the water.
In the “Add catches” section, the document indicates that RETAINED and RELEASED catches are added separately.
Data requested includes:
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number of copies,
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total weight in grams,
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and in some cases size.
If you fish in a Marine Reserve
If the activity takes place in a marine reserve, the guide indicates that additional data should be added, such as:
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size in centimeters (in principle, mandatory if reservation is selected),
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and number of rods and hooks (also in principle only in reserve).
If you fish from a boat: extra data
When the modality is from a boat, there are additional fields:
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number of licenses on board (number of fishermen),
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selection of the vessel from which the catch is made,
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and identification data (e.g., NIB in Spanish flag, or bulwark mark if not Spanish flag).
What happens if you catch several species?
The guide explains that the process is repeated for each species captured, and that the application leads to a screen to add a new species or finalize the declaration.
You can consult all the details on the use of the app provided by the Ministry here.
