Chapter 17: Recreational fisheries in the twenty-first century. Towards a code of conduct

Recreational fisheries are importantin terms of income and jobs in regional and national economies, provision of social, cultural, physiological and psychological benefits for the practitioners, food security and biological impact on fish stocks. Yet no universally accepted code of conduct exists for the practice and managment of the acitivity. The present chapter discusses fundamental issues critical for sustainable recreational fisheries management and practive. It is not the intention of this chapter to formulate a final code of conduct. This would require active involvement of all stakeholders, including practitioners, managers and policy makers. Instead, the aim of this chapter is to suggest are conducted in a sustainable manner to maximize the environmental, social and economic benefits while minimizing potential negative impacts.