‘Fishermen’s day’ must let women compete, German court rules

Female member wins appeal to be allowed to take part in traditional Bavarian summer event

A German court has ruled that women cannot be excluded from a traditional event in which fishermen compete to catch the biggest fish in a stream that runs through a Bavarian town.

The state court in Memmingen said the group that organises the town's Fischertag, or fishermen's day, must allow female members to participate in the climax of the annual summer event, which features people jumping into a stream with nets to catch trout. Whoever catches the biggest fish is crowned the fishermen's king".