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 licence and must be a member of the Federazione Italiana della Pesca Sportiva e Attività Subacquee, Viale Tiziano, 70, 00196 Rome (www.fipsas.it), which manages over 90 per cent of Italy’s inland waters.
There’s also a fee to fish in most waters (e.g. €10 per day) or only when you actually catch something (sometimes according to the size and weight of your catch), payable to the local park ranger.
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, when (by law) no more than 5kg (11lb) of fish and shellfish may be caught per day.
This article is an extract from Living and Working in Italy. Click here to get a copy now.