News

The full set of speakers at the first-ever EFTTA Angling Summit on November 28^th in Berlin has now been confirmed, along with the complete agenda.

The final three speakers were revealed last week, bringing the total to 11, each an expert in their field, with the plan being to offer a wide range of information, advice and ideas to the participants at hub27 on the Berlin exhibition ground.

European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) board members Gerard Bakkenes and Ross Honey will open the event by outlining the threats and opportunities the industry currently has in front of it.

Cécile Fouquet, Alienor’s director of public affairs, will share her experiences of representing fishing at the European Union in Brussels, before Joana Patrício, the fisheries control expert at DG Mare in Brusssels will talk about new regulations and an EU-wide electronic catch reporting system.

Peter Lyngby, president of the Danish Tackle Trade Association, will outline the work being done on the Single-Use Plastic Directive, due for implementation in 2025, and its impact on the tackle trade.

Professor Robert Arlinghaus from IGB and Humboldt University in Berlin will talk about catch and release and fish handling before Portsmouth university marine biology lecturer Professor Gordon Watson details the work behind CAST – Competitive Angling as a Scientific Tool.

After lunch the delegates will hear from Tintti Drake from the Finnish Federation for Recreational Angling about its work to empower more women in the sport while David Lyons from UK charity Tackling Minds will explain his organisations approach to using fishing to aid mental health

European Boating Industry president Robert Marx will offer ideas on connecting sustainable boating and recreational fishing strategies. Then Glenn Hughes, president of the American Sportfishing Association will outline how they do things in the USA and what is currently working to grow the sport.

Focusing on the future of angling in Europe will be EFTTA lobbyist  and public affairs officer Jan Kappel, who will bring everyone up to date on pending EU lead restriction proposals before the UK’s Angling trades Association chairman Andrew Race talks about the how we can retain existing anglers and attract new ones.

The afternoon concludes will a panel discussion on the tackle trade for tomorrow, with major players from the industry and EFTTA board members.

After a networking reception and dinner, Professor Béla Urbânyi from the Hungarian University of Agricultural Sciences will offer his thoughts on how science can help develop our sector.

The final agenda is below. To see the full panel of speakers, click HERE

TTW readers can still claim a 25 per cent discount on their tickets using the code EFTTATTW24. To book tickets, click HERE