POSITION PAPER No. 4/2026

Beyond Self-Reporting: Towards a New Model

of Digital Governance for Recreational Fisheries

in Italy

Executive Summary

Recreational fisheries represent a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon of extraordinary importance within both the Italian and European contexts. Millions of citizens engage in sport and recreational fishing activities along more than eight thousand kilometres of Italian coastline. Despite the increasing attention paid by European institutions to the sustainability of fish stocks, the current monitoring and control system governing recreational fisheries continues to display significant structural shortcomings.

The existing framework relies predominantly on prior notification mechanisms and self-reporting systems for catches. Although these instruments constitute an important first step towards improving knowledge of the phenomenon, they are not capable of ensuring a reliable measurement of the actual extraction pressure exerted on marine resources.

Research Unit One therefore considers it necessary to undertake a profound revision of the current regulatory paradigm, moving towards systems based on digital governance, risk-based selective controls, and the full integration of artificial intelligence technologies.

1. The Structural Limitations of the Current Model

The current national regulatory framework presents a fundamental weakness: its almost complete dependence on the voluntary cooperation of recreational fishers.

A system primarily based on self-reporting inevitably generates a substantial dark figure of unrecorded catches, thereby reducing the quality of available scientific data and undermining the capacity of public authorities to design genuinely sustainable fisheries management policies.

Additional critical factors include:

• insufficient probability of enforcement across the entire national coastal perimeter;

• the practical impossibility of systematically verifying the accuracy of self-declarations;

• the absence of predictive risk analysis systems;

• the persistence of illegal commercialization of recreational catches;

• fragmentation of data among different public administrations.

The result is a system characterized by high administrative costs and limited substantive effectiveness.

2. The Need for a Transition towards "Smart Fisheries Governance"

RUO advocates the adoption of a new paradigm that may be defined as Smart Fisheries Governance.

Such a model should be based upon the following principles:

a) Digital Identity of Fishers

The introduction of a single national digital fishing licence linked to certified electronic identity systems (SPID/CIE) would allow for an accurate assessment of the actual number of recreational fishers.

b) Electronic Fishing Trip Registry

Every recreational fishing activity should be recorded through official digital platforms using simplified check-in and check-out procedures.

c) Traceability of Catches with High Biological Impact

For particularly sensitive species or species subject to specific stock recovery plans, georeferenced photographic recording of catches should be required and validated through automatic recognition systems based on artificial intelligence.

d) Risk-Based Selective Controls

The use of risk analysis algorithms would enable inspection activities to be targeted towards individuals displaying anomalous behavioural patterns.

Indicators such as:

• frequency of fishing trips;

• catches consistently close to legal limits;

• statistically anomalous extraction patterns;

• concentration on species with high commercial value;

could constitute parameters for the automatic selection of inspection targets.

3. Combating the Grey Area between Recreational Fishing and Illegal Markets

One of the main vulnerabilities of the Italian system lies in the persistent overlap between recreational fishing activities and the illegal introduction of fishery products into commercial markets.

RUO considers it essential to establish a clear regulatory and technological distinction between:

• the professional commercial supply chain;

• personal consumption;

• recreational fishing activities.

The inability to certify the lawful origin of fishery products should constitute sufficient grounds for initiating targeted inspection activities.

4. Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins and Ecosystem Protection

The integration of data derived from:

• satellite systems;

• fishers' digital platforms;

• oceanographic datasets;

• Coast Guard inspection activities;

• environmental monitoring systems;

• scientific observations;

could enable the development of the first Digital Twin of Italian recreational fisheries.

Such an infrastructure would allow:

• dynamic estimates of fishing effort;

• real-time assessment of pressure on fish stocks;

• early detection of illegal activities;

• evidence-based support for public decision-making.

5. Policy Recommendations

RUO recommends that national and European institutions:

1. reform the recreational fisheries authorization system by introducing mandatory digital instruments;

2. develop an interoperable national platform for catch registration;

3. introduce risk-based control models supported by transparent and auditable algorithms;

4. promote citizen science programmes through the direct involvement of fishers' associations;

5. fund pilot projects based on artificial intelligence and marine digital twins;

6. strengthen cooperation among Ministries, Coast Guard authorities, the scientific community, and representative stakeholder organizations.

Conclusions

The sustainability of marine ecosystems cannot rely exclusively on the goodwill of individual users of marine resources.

The transition towards advanced forms of digital governance has become an unavoidable necessity.

Recreational fishing must continue to represent a social and cultural practice of extraordinary value. However, this objective can only be achieved through a new pact among citizens, science, and institutions, founded upon responsibility, transparency, and technological innovation.

Research Unit One
Permanent Observatory on Fisheries Legality and Marine Resources Governance

Rome–Palermo, June 2026