The European Fishing Tackle Trade Association was established in London in 1981 with a clear purpose: to support the European sportfishing tackle sector – the manufacturers and wholesalers, the importers and exporters. The EFTTA support includes promotion and protection of the sportfishing activities, to grow the tackle business and influence policies and legislation of importance to the sector, the sportfishers (also named ‘recreational anglers’) and the environment. To do so effectively EFTTA has registered as an official lobbying association in Brussels.
EFTTA is directly involved with European policies and legislation related to, among other things, small hydropower stations, cormorants, chemicals and a number of fisheries management plans concerning sea bass, tuna, Atlantic and Baltic cod and salmon and more. Only recently EU has included sportfishing in the fisheries management plans explicitly, namely sea bass (since year 2015) and Baltic cod (since year 2016). EFTTA expects more of that to come.