[Problems of animal welfare in sport fishing].

The legislative frame of animal welfare in fishing is built by the German Animal Protection Act. It is completed by different State legislations on fishing, which essential parts are based on a number of judicial decisions concerning this subject. To be acquainted with the legal directions is of course a necessity for game fishers. Nevertheless, the real attitude in conformity with the rules of animal protection is determined by a comprehensive knowledge of the species fish and its aquaeous biotope. In the Federal Republic of Germany, an official fishing license is acquired after as special examination, which gives certain guarantee of experience in this field. In practice, however, a lot of deficiencies are observed in handling this vertebrate, which is capable of passion. As a consequence, we claim for a game fisher who is familiar with our native fish fauna and its biotope, who is responsible with the fish creatures and aims at maintaining a healthy and species rich fish stock in our waters.