Fishing boom lifts exam numbers in Burgenland

Fishing is growing in popularity in Burgenland, with 419 fishing examinations recorded last year, 20 percent more than in 2024, ORF reported. Women and young people are also showing increasing interest.

Women now account for 25 percent of those taking the examinations. Burgenland currently has around 8,500 anglers.

Under the Burgenland Fishing Act, young people can take the fishing examination from the age of 14. They may then fish independently. The next course offered by the Hunting and Fishing Service Centre is scheduled for September 5, with two more dates planned before the end of the year.

Fishing is also an economic factor in Austria. Around 350,000 people fish actively nationwide, while about 690,000 people aged 15 and over, or roughly 9 percent of the total population, go fishing at least once a year. Recreational fishing generates between 600 million and 800 million euros in economic value annually.