Council Regulation (EEC) No 3094/86 of 7 October 1986 laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources

• Published date: 11 October 1986
• Subject Matter: Fisheries policy
• Official Gazette Publication: Official Journal of the European Communities, L 288, 11 October 1986

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Council Regulation (EEC) No 3094/86 of 7 October 1986 laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources

Official Journal L 288 , 11/10/1986 P. 0001 - 0020
Finnish special edition: Chapter 4 Volume 2 P. 0128
Swedish special edition: Chapter 4 Volume 2 P. 0128

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COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3094/86

of 7 October 1986

laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 170/83 of 25 January 1983 establishing a Community system for the conservation and management of fishery resources (1), and in particular Article 11 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas, in order to ensure the protection of marine biological resources and the balanced exploitation of fishery resources in the interests of both fishermen and consumers, technical measures should be laid down for the conservation of fishery resources specifying inter alia the mesh sizes, by-catch rates, and fish sizes permitted, as well as the limitation of fishing within certain areas and periods and with certain gear;

Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 171/83 of 25 January 1983 laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources (2) has been subsequently amended six times, by Regulations (EEC) No 2931/83 (3), (EEC) No 1637/84 (4), (EEC) No 2178/84 (5), (EEC) No 2664/84 (6), (EEC) No 3625/84 (7) and (EEC) No 3782/85 (8), and it is therefore necessary for the proper understanding of this Regulation and its effective enforcement that it be replaced by a new Regulation wherein all these modifications are included in a single text;

Whereas, following the withdrawal of Greenland from the European Economic Community, it is no longer appropriate to include technical measures which apply to waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of Greenland;

Whereas experience in the application of Regulation (EEC) No 171/83 has brought to light certain deficiencies which result in problems of application and enforcement and which should be rectified, notably by introducing definitions of directed fishing for certain species of fish and by defining more precisely by-catches and protected species;

Whereas, in the light of the latest scientific advice, provision should be made for increases in mesh sizes when fishing in the North Sea and west of Scotland and Rockall;

Whereas the manner in which the size of crustaceans and molluscs are to be measured should be more precisely defined;

Whereas the rules concerning fishing within the 12-mile coastal zone should be more precisely defined in terms which are enforceable;

Whereas in this respect increased protection of nursery areas, in particular of sole and plaice, should be provided for in the coastal zone of Member States, taking into account the specific biological conditions in those various zones;

Whereas, in order not to hinder scientific research, this Regulation should not apply to operations which may be necessitated, even incidentally, by the conduct of such research;

Whereas certain minimum landing sizes should be increased and others should be introduced in order to provide better conservation of fishery resources;

Whereas additional national measures of a strictly local character should not be invalidated or hampered by the adoption of this Regulation;

Whereas, therefore, such measures may be maintained or adopted subject to examination by the Commission of their compatibility with Community law and conformity with the Common Fisheries Policy;

Whereas this Regulation should apply without prejudice to certain national measures going beyond the minimum requirements which it lays down;

Whereas the procedure for examining such measures should be simplified;

Whereas the rules governing fishing operations in the Skagerrak and Kattegat, agreed between the delegations of the Community and those of Norway and Sweden, should be included in this Regulation;

Whereas urgent new conservation measures and detailed rules on the implementation of this Regulation may be necessary, whereas such measures and rules should be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 170/83;

Whereas, where conservation is seriously threatened, Member States should be permitted to take appropriate provisional measures,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Definition of areas

1. This Regulation shall apply to the taking and landing of fishery resources occurring in all maritime waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Member States, except as otherwise provided in Article 6 (b), and situated in one of the following regions:

Region 1

All waters which lie to the north and west of a line running from a point at latitude 48 ºN, longitude 18 °W; thence due north to latitude 60 °N; thence due east to longitude 5 °W; thence due north to latitude 60 °30'N; thence due east to longitude 4 °W; thence due north to latitude 64 °N; thence due east to the coast of Norway.

Region 2

All waters situated north of latitude 48 °N, but excluding the waters in Region 1 and ICES Divisions III b), III c) and III d).

Region 3

All waters corresponding to ICES Sub-areas VIII and IX.

Region 4

All waters corresponding to ICES Sub-area X.

Region 5

All waters situated in that part of the east central Atlantic comprising divisions 34.1.1, 34.1.2 and 34.1.3 and subarea 34.2.0 of fishing zone 34 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - CECAF region, excluding the waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of Spain situated around the Canary Islands.

Region 6

All waters off the coasts of the French department of Guyana.

Region 7

All waters off the coasts of the French departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Region 8

All waters off the coasts of the French department of Réunion.

2. The geographical areas designated in this Regulation by the letters 'NAFO', 'ICES' and 'FAO' shall be those defined by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, respectively. They are described, subject to any subsequent amendments, in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3179/78 (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 654/81 (2), and in Commission communications Nos 85/C 347/05 (3) and 85/C 335/02 (4).

3. The regions referred to in paragraph 1 may be divided into geographical areas in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 15, in particular on the basis of the definitions referred to in paragraph 2 thereof.

4. Notwithstanding paragraph 2, for the purposes of this Regulation, the Kattegat is limited in the north by a line drawn from Skagen lighthouse to the lighthouse in Tistlarna, and from here to the nearest point on the Swedish coast, and in the south by a a line drawn from Hasenore Head to Gniben Point, from Korshage to Spodsbjerg, and from Gilbjerg Head to the Kullen.

The Skagerrak is limited in the west by a line drawn from the lighthouse of Hanstholm to the lighthouse of Lindesnes and in the south by a line drawn from Skagen lighthouse to the lighthouse of Tistlarna and from here to the nearest point on the Swedish coast.

5. Notwithstanding paragraph 2, for the purposes of this Regulation, the North Sea shall comprise ICES Sub-area IV, the adjacent part of ICES Division II a) lying south of latitude 64 °N, and that part of ICES Division III a) which is not covered by the definition of the Skagerrak given in paragraph 4.

TITLE I

NETS AND CONDITIONS FOR THEIR USE

Article 2

Minimum mesh sizes

1. For each of the regions or geographical areas mentioned in Annex I and, where applicable, for the corresponding period, engine power and number of twines used in making the meshes, it is prohibited to use any trawl, Danish seine or similar towed net unless its

mesh size in that part of the net having the smallest meshes is equal to, or greater than, one of the minimum mesh sizes listed in that Annex, hereby designated the reference minimum size, and unless the catch taken with that net and retained on board includes:

- a percentage of authorized target species equal to or greater than that specified in that Annex,

- a percentage of protected species which does not exceed that specified in that Annex,

for the reference minimum mesh size.

Notwithstanding the first subparagraph, the minimum percentage of target species may be obtained by aggregating the quantities of all the target species caught provided that:

- they are target species for which the minimum percentage of protected species is 10 %,

- they are target species for which the reference minimum mesh size is the same as, or less than, the mesh of the net in use,

- the total percentage for all protected species combined as a proportion of the total weight of all the target species combined does not exceed 10 %.

For the purpose of this Regulation, protected species are defined as those species for which a minimum size has been laid down in Annex II, or which are identified by an asterisk in that Annex for the Region concerned.

The provisions of this paragraph are without prejudice to the specific provisions laid down in the following paragraphs.

2. Dredges are exempted from the provisions of paragraph 1. However, it shall be prohibited to have on board or to land more than 10 % of protected species when fishing with dredges.

3. The percentages referred to in Annex I shall be calculated as the proportion by weight of all fish, crustaceans and molluscs on board after sorting or on landing, taking into account any quantities which have been transhipped.

Notwithstanding the previous subparagraph, when fishing for...