The ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court that stipulates all carp caught from Spanish waterways must be killed and not returned has been rejected by the High Court of Justice of Aragon.
In issue 1117 of Carp-Talk, we reported on the Supreme Court’s decision to add carp, as well as black bass, rainbow trout and pike, to the invasive-species list on the back of a 2011 appeal from Ecologists in Action, the Spanish Ornithological Society and the Association of the Study and Improvement of Salmonids.
The High Court’s decision to reject this ruling means all carp, black bass, rainbow trout and pike must once again be returned safe and well. The decision has been met with celebration by the Spanish carping industry, many of whom, along with hundreds of thousands of anglers, hunters and farmers, descended on the Plaza de Colon in Madrid last June to protest about the Supreme Court’s decision.
Paul Booth, who runs guiding service Ebro Crazy Cats on the River Ebro, told Carp-Talk: “This is fantastic news, not only for me as a guide and my company, but also for the countless hotels, bars, restaurants and shops that rely on the tourism our sport brings to the area. Thank you to all the people that fought to make this happen.”
