Fisheries association led by FDP politician Gero Hocker is threatened with a fine from the Bundestag

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Fisheries President Gero Hocker in front of the German Bundestag

Photo: Johannes Arlt / laif

The Bundestag administration has initiated administrative offense proceedings against the German Fisheries Association. A spokesman explained in response to a SPIEGEL request that it was checking whether there was misconduct "due to the failure to register in the lobby register" in the period from March 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024.

It is the first procedure of its kind since the introduction of the lobby register. Violations can be punished with fines of up to 50,000 euros.

Particularly spicy: the president of the fishing association is Gero Hocker (FDP), a member of the Bundestag from Lower Saxony, who should know the rules. The agricultural expert was already a member of parliament in 2021 when the lobby register was approved. His group recently agreed to tightening the lobby register law.

Explosive double role

SPIEGEL had revealed that Hocker, as association president, had written to Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) seeking funding for German fishermen. However, the association was not registered in the lobby register. He explained this by saying that as an employers' association he was exempt from registration.

In fact, the law provides an exception for employers' and employees' associations. But is the Fisheries Association really an employers' association? There is no reference to this in its statutes. The aim is to unite “all fishermen” in the Federal Republic. Sport and fishing enthusiasts are also represented.

The Bundestag administration is now examining whether the association can rely on the exception rule. When asked, the fishing association said it was “regardless of clarification.” His assessment would be “confirmed by lawyers.”

Nevertheless, the fishermen's interest group entered the lobby register after the SPIEGEL publication. However, a spokesman emphasizes that this was “completely voluntary”. Hocker declined to comment on the entire matter.

Timo Lange from the organization Lobbycontrol thinks it's "good that the administration is now examining the case and enforcing the law. But the case also shows that the exception rule can become a loophole in the law.