The European Anglers Alliance meet in Vienna for its annual General Assembly meeting

This year’s meetings started with the SEA Subgroup meeting, during which EAA members discussed topics of interest for the organisation including:

In the Freshwater Subgroup, the discussions focussed on the work done by EAA in the Living Rivers Coalition. An update by Dutch EAA member Sportvisserij Nederland was also given on its legal actions taken on the subject of hydropower in the Meuse river. With its presentation, Sportvisserij Nederland gave a short overview of the legal actions undertaken, the used legal framework and other relevant elements that can help other EAA members to enforce the existing environmental legislation to prevent further damages to migratory fish species by hydropower plants.

During the Joint Subgroup meeting members discussed the developments of the ProtectFish research project. A project which EAA follows closely given its role as member of the External Advisory Board. Additionally, a brief status update was done by all members on their successful initiatives to boost angling participation, and especially their efforts to target youth and underrepresented groups, e.g. people with disabilities.

To conclude the subgroup meetings, EAA delegates visited the LIFE-Boat 4 Sturgeon project. A project funded by the European Union aiming to save the remaining four sturgeon species in the Danube river basin from extinction. A presentation was given by project coordinator Dr. Thomas Friedrich (BOKU) on the project’s floating hatchery. This former cargo boat is used to keep and reproduce broodstock and rear juveniles which will be released in the lower Danube delta during the project’s course.

During EAA’s General Assembly meeting on Saturday 06 September 2025, EAA delegates welcomed 2 scientific experts of BOKU Vienna and the University of Graz who gave insights into their work and its relevance with EAA’s priorities.

To start, Dr. Kurt Pinter (BOKU Vienna University) presented its work under the ProtectFish research project’s Work Package 4 – Fish conservation in practice: Developing solutions for a sustainable management of endangered fish, cormorants and riverine ecosystems”.

During his presentation, K. Pinter outlined the ongoing field studies on the Austrian river Drava and Traun. On the Drava, field studies are intended to provide important comparative data on the effects of management on fish stocks.

During the GA’s meeting, Prof. Dr. Steven Weiss (University of Graz) presented his research on the fish otter in Austria and beyond, its population status, legal challenges and potential solutions. In his presentation Prof. Dr. Weiss shared that the fish otter has recovered throughout much of its European range but there is more room for management of the species.

The EAA’s General Assembly also provided the platform for the Austrian EAA Member ÖKF FishLife to present its latest study “Angling in Austria”. This study – presented by Sonja Behr and Norbert Novak – highlights the huge socio-economic importance of angling in Austria. The results of the survey – executed 20 years after the previous one! – highlight that over 690.000 have done recreational fisheries activities in the past 12 months and that the outdoor activity generates around 600-800 million Euro to the national economy.