Fishing license

Licensing is one type of fisheries management commonly used in Western countries, and may be required for either commercial or recreational fishing.

[2] In addition, anyone who fishes in a non-estuarine stream, lake, or canal needs a permit from the owner of the fishing rights to the water body, which might be a local angling club, a landowner with riparian rights, or an organization such as the Canal & River Trust.

[3] In Ireland, rights to fish in non-tidal freshwater also are owned either by the government or by private entities such as angling club.

The ownership of fishing rights in Ireland derives from the confiscation of lands by the British Crown in the 17th century; the boundaries of fishing rights areas typically follow the boundaries of estates granted by the Crown.

[8] Estonians have a life-long right to fish with one simple handline in waters owned by the state and local governments, provided that regulations about species, sizes and seasons are followed.

[12] For fishing in Swedish public coastal waters (Baltic Sea and the west coast), no license is necessary.

[16][17] In places where saltwater and freshwater cross over the regulations are complicated and licence may be required.