In Japan, they are seen as competitors to the coastal fishers and no longer benefit from the open access they used to enjoy (FAO, 2003a). Recreational fishers in the European Union are not represented on the Advisory Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture, the main stakeholder advisory body to the EU Commission in fisheries matters.10 Recreational fishers are becoming increasingly important both because of the volume of their catches and because of the value of the contribution of the recreational fishing industry to GNP. In the United States, the contribution of marine recreational fisheries to GNP is of the same order of magnitude as commercial fisheries (FAO, 2003b).