FISHING IN ITALY
Italians love to eat fish and you will find them fishing in the smallest streams and along the beach throughout the year. Italy offers abundant fishing opportunities, both fresh and salt water, and over 2m people take part in the sport annually.
The many lakes, rivers and mountain streams provide the opportunity to fish for trout, carp, perch, pike and other species. For freshwater fishing, you require an annual license and must be a member of the Federazione Italiana della Pesca Sportiva e Attività Subacqua (www.fipsas.it), which manages over 90 per cent of Italy’s inland waters.
You can also fish at private ponds were you do not need a license but pay a fee to fish (e.g. €10 per day) or only you pay for what you catch, according to the size and weight, this fee is paid to the pond owner.
No licence is required for sea fishing and you can join a deep-sea fishing excursion or hire your own boat at many ports. Spear fishing is legal and popular in many places, but regulations forbid the use of scuba tanks and nets for underwater fishing. Underwater fishing is permitted only in daylight, most areas have a limit of no more than 5kg (11lb) of fish and shellfish may be caught per day.