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The impact of recreational fishing on fish stocks remains largely unknown, as this is inherently difficult to monitor, especially in areas such as the Mediterranean Sea where many species are targeted using a variety of fishing gears and techniques. This study attempts to complement existing data sets and construct the profile of recreational fisheries in the EU‐Mediterranean countries using videos publicly available on social media. A total of 1526 video records were selected, featuring the capture of 7799 fish specimens. The results show recreational fishing is multispecies in nature (26 species contributed to >80% % of the most numerically important species caught) and exhibits a spatially homogeneous pattern, with differences in species composition being mostly dependent on the fishing technique used rather than on the country. Such findings fill an important knowledge gap on recreational fishing activities, and the methodology provides an innovative approach to gather statistics on data‐poor thematic areas that can potentially complement other data sets, such as the EU Data Collection Multi‐Annual Programme.

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The population dynamics parameters of Diplodus annularis from the eastern middle Adriatic Sea were studied. Total lengths of 1704 specimens ranging from 3.3 to 23.0 cm were obtained from commercial and fishery-independent catches (2000)(2001)(2002). The species spawns from April through the end of August, with a peak in May. Overall male to female ratio was 1.00 : 1.05. The species is a rudimentary hermaphrodite in the Adriatic Sea. Total lengths (TL) at 50% maturity were 9.0 cm for males and 10.0 cm for females. These estimated sizes were smaller than the minimum legal landing size (MLS ¼ 15 cm) and greater than the actual minimum landing size (L c ¼ 7.1 cm) for the bottom trawl net. All specimens sampled were fully mature above 13 cm TL. The oldest individual was 13 years old. Length-weight relationship showed close to isometric growth (b ¼ 3.073). Parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equation were: L 1 ¼ 23.95 cm; K ¼ 0.126 per year; t 0 ¼ À1.664 year; r 2 ¼ 0.896. The low value of total mortality (Z ¼ 0.72) was a consequence of the relatively low rate of natural mortality (M ¼ 0.39) and fishing mortality (F ¼ 0.33). The exploitation ratio was E ¼ 0.46. Estimated parameters and the relative yield-per-recruit analysis did not indicate any overexploitation of the species in the study area. However, the estimates include uncertainties and require further confirmation, especially of the natural mortality.