Council Regulation (EC) No 40/2008Dangos y teitl llawn

ANNEX IIB

FISHING EFFORT FOR VESSELS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECOVERY OF CERTAIN SOUTHERN HAKE AND NORWAY LOBSTER STOCKS IN ICES ZONES VIIIc AND IXa EXCLUDING THE GULF OF CADIZ

1. Scope

The conditions laid down in this Annex shall apply to Community vessels of length overall equal to or greater than 10 metres, carrying on board towed and static gears defined in point 3 and present in zones VIIIc and IXa excluding the Gulf of Cadiz. For the purposes of this Annex, a reference to the 2008 management period means the period from 1 February 2008 to 31 January 2009.

2. Definition of day present within the area

For the purpose of this Annex, a day present within an area shall be any continuous period of 24  hours (or part thereof) during which a vessel is present within the geographical area defined in point 1 and absent from port. The time from which the continuous period is measured is at the discretion of the Member State whose flag is flown by the vessel concerned.

3. Fishing gear

For the purpose of this Annex, the following grouping of fishing gears shall apply:

• Trawls, Danish seines and similar gears of mesh size equal to or larger than 32 mm and gill-nets of mesh size equal to or larger than 60 mm and bottom long-lines.

IMPLEMENTATION OF FISHING EFFORT LIMITATIONS

4. Vessels concerned by fishing effort limitations

4.1. Vessels using gears belonging to the grouping of fishing gear referred to in point 3 and fishing in areas defined in point 1 shall hold a special fishing permit issued in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1627/94.

4.2. A Member State shall not permit fishing with any gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear defined in point 3 in the area by any of its vessels which have no record of such fishing activity in the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 or 2007 in the area, excluding the record of fishing activities as a result of transfer of days between fishing vessels, unless it ensures that equivalent capacity, measured in kilowatts, is prevented from fishing in the regulated area.

4.3. A vessel flying the flag of a Member State having no quotas in the area defined in point 1 shall not be permitted to fish in that area with a gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear defined in point 3, unless the vessel is allocated a quota after a transfer as permitted according to the Article 20(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 and is allocated days at sea according to point 13 of this Annex.

5. Limitations in activity

Each Member State shall ensure that, when carrying on board any gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear referred to in point 3, fishing vessels flying its flag and registered in the Community shall be present within the area for no more than the number of days specified in point 7.

6. Exceptions

A Member State shall not count against the days allocated to any of its vessels under this Annex either any days when the vessel has been present within the area but unable to fish because it was assisting another vessel in need of emergency aid or any days when a vessel has been present within the area but unable to fish because it is transporting an injured person for emergency medical aid. The Member State shall provide justification to the Commission within one month of any decisions taken on this basis with associated evidence of the emergency from the competent authorities.

NUMBER OF DAYS PRESENT WITHIN THE AREA ALLOCATED TO FISHING VESSELS

7. Maximum number of days

7.1. During the 2008 management period, the maximum number of days at sea for which a Member State may authorize a vessel flying its flag to be present within the area having carried on board any gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear referred to in point 3 is shown in Table I.

7.2. For the purposes of fixing the maximum number of days at sea a fishing vessel may be authorized by its flag Member State to be present within the area, the following special conditions shall apply during the 2008 management period in accordance with Table I:

(a)

The total landings of hake in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 made by the vessel, or by the vessel or vessels using similar gears and qualifying for this special condition, mutatis mutandis, that it has replaced in accordance with Community law, shall represent less than 5 tonnes according to the landings in live weight consigned in the Community logbook, and;

(b)

The total landings of Norway lobster in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 made by the vessel, or by the vessel or vessels using similar gears and qualifying for this special condition, mutatis mutandis, that it has replaced in accordance with Community law, shall represent less than 2,5 tonnes according to the landings in live weight consigned in the Community logbook.

7.3. During the 2008 management period, a Member State may manage its fishing effort allocations according to a kilowatt days system. By that system it may authorise any vessel concerned for any gear of the grouping of fishing gears and special conditions laid down in Table I to be present within the area for a maximum number of days which is different from that set out in that Table, provided that the overall amount of kilowatt days corresponding to the grouping and special condition is respected.

This overall amount of kilowatt days shall be the sum of all individual fishing efforts allocated to the vessels flying the flag of that Member State and qualified for the grouping of fishing gears referred to in point 3 and special condition. Such individual fishing efforts shall be calculated in kilowatt days by multiplying the engine power of each vessel by the number of days at sea it would benefit from, according to table I, if the provisions of this point were not applied.

7.4. A Member State wishing to benefit from the provisions laid down in point 7.3 shall submit a request to the Commission with reports in electronic format containing for the grouping of fishing gears and special condition as laid down in Table I the details of the calculation based on

• list of vessels authorized to fish by indicating their Community Fleet Register number (CFR) and their engine power;

• track records of 2001, 2002 and 2003 for such vessels reflecting the catch composition defined in special conditions 7.2(a) or (b), if these vessels are qualified for such special conditions;

• the number of days at sea for which each vessel would had initially been authorized to fish according to Table I and the number of days at sea which each vessel would benefit from in application of point 7.3.

On the basis of that description, the Commission may authorize that Member State to benefit from the provisions defined in point 7.3.

8. Management periods

8.1. A Member State may divide the days present within the area given in Table I into management periods of durations of one or more calendar months.

8.2. The number of days for which a vessel may be present within the area during a management period shall be fixed at the discretion of the Member State concerned.

8.3. In any given management period a vessel may undertake non-fishing related activities, without that time being counted against its days allocated under point 7, provided that the vessel first notifies its flag Member State of its intention to do so, the nature of its activity and that it surrenders its fishing licence for this time. Such vessels shall not carry any fishing gear or fish on board during that time.

9. Allocation of additional days for permanent cessation of fishing activities

9.1. An additional number of days at sea on which a vessel may be authorized by its flag Member State to be present within the geographical area when carrying on board any gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gears referred to in point 3 may be allocated to Member States by the Commission on the basis of permanent cessations of fishing activities that have taken place since 1 January 2004 either in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 or resulting from other circumstances duly motivated by Member States. Any vessels that can be shown to have been definitively withdrawn from the area may also be considered. The effort expended in 2003 measured in kilowatt days of the withdrawn vessels using the gears in question shall be divided by the effort expended by all vessels using those gears during 2003.

The additional number of days at sea shall be then calculated by multiplying the ratio so obtained by the number of days that would have been allocated according to Table I. Any part of a day resulting from this calculation shall be rounded to the nearest whole day.

This point shall not apply where a vessel has been replaced in accordance with point 4.1 or when the withdrawal has already been used in previous years to obtain additional days at sea.

9.2. Member States wishing to benefit from the allocations referred to in point 9.1 shall submit a request to the Commission with reports in electronic format containing for the grouping of fishing gears and special condition as laid down in Table I the details of the calculation based on

• lists of withdrawn vessels with their Community Fleet Register number (CFR) and their engine power;

• the fishing activity deployed by such vessels in 2003 calculated in days at sea according to the grouping of fishing gears and if necessary special condition;

9.3. On the basis of such a request the Commission may amend the number of days defined in point 7.1 for that Member State in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 30(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002.

9.4. During the 2008 management period, a Member State may re-allocate those additional numbers of days at sea to all the vessels remaining in fleet and qualified for the gears belonging to the grouping of fishing gears and special condition or to part of them by applying, mutatis mutandis, the provisions laid down in points 7.3 and 7.4.

9.5. Any additional number of days resulting from a permanent cessation of activity previously allocated by the Commission on the basis of previous definitions of groupings of fishing gears shall be reassessed on the basis of the grouping of fishing gears laid down in point 3. Any additional days so obtained shall remain allocated in 2008.

10. Allocation of additional days for enhanced observer coverage

10.1. Three additional days on which a vessel may be present within the area when carrying onboard any gears belonging to the grouping of fishing gear referred to in point 3 may be allocated between 1 February 2008 and 31 January 2009 to Member States by the Commission on the basis of an enhanced programme of observer coverage in partnership between scientists and the fishing industry. Such a programme shall focus in particular on levels of discarding and on catch composition and go beyond the requirements on data collection, as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000, Regulation (EC) No 1639/2001 and Regulation (EC) No 1581/2004 for the minimum and extended programme levels.

Observers shall be independent from the owner of the vessel and shall not be a member of the fishing vessel crew.

10.2. Member States wishing to benefit from the allocations referred to in point 10.1 shall submit a description of their enhanced observer coverage programme to the Commission.

10.3. On the basis of this description, and after consultation with STECF, the Commission may amend the number of days defined in point 7.1 for that Member State and for the vessels, the area and gear concerned by the enhanced programme of observers in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 30(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002.

10.4. If such a programme submitted by a Member Stated has been approved by the Commission in the past and the Member State wishes to continue its application without changes, the Member State shall inform the Commission of the continuation of its enhanced observer coverage programme four weeks before the beginning of the period for which the programme applies.

11. Special conditions for the allocation of days

11.1. If a vessel has received an unlimited number of days resulting from compliance with the special conditions listed in points 7.2(a) and 7.2(b), the vessel's landings in 2008 shall not exceed 5 tonnes live weight of hake and 2,5 tonnes live weight of Norway lobster.

11.2. The vessel shall not tranship any fish at sea to another vessel.

11.3. When either of these conditions is not met by a vessel, that vessel shall with immediate effect no longer be entitled to the allocation of days corresponding to the given special conditions.

Table I
Maximum number of days a vessel may be present within the area by fishing gear per year
Gear point 3	Special conditions point 7	DenominationOnly the gear groupings as defined in point 3 and the special conditions as defined in point 7 are used.	Maximum number of days
3		Bottom trawls of mesh size ≥ 32 mm, gill-nets of mesh size ≥ 60 mm and bottom long-lines	194
3	7.2(a) and 7.2(b)	Bottom trawls of mesh size ≥ 32 mm, gill-nets of mesh size ≥ 60 mm and bottom long-lines	Unlimited

EXCHANGES OF FISHING EFFORT ALLOCATIONS

12. Transfer of days between vessels flying the flag of a member state

12.1. A Member State may permit any fishing vessel flying its flag to transfer days present within the area for which it has been authorised to another vessel flying its flag within the area provided that the product of the days received by a vessel multiplied by its engine in kilowatts (kilowatt days) is equal to or less than the product of the days transferred by the donor vessel and the engine power in kilowatts of that vessel. The engine power in kilowatts of the vessels shall be that recorded for each vessel in the Community fishing fleet register.

12.2. The total number of days present within the area transferred under point 12.1 multiplied by the engine power in kilowatts of the donor vessel shall not be higher than the donor vessel's average annual days track record in the area as verified by the Community logbook in the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 multiplied by the engine power in kilowatts of that vessel.

12.3. The transfer of days as described in point 12.1 shall be permitted only between vessels operating within the any gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear and during the same management period.

12.4. Transfer of days is only permitted for vessels benefiting from an allocation of fishing days without special condition, as laid down in point 7.2.

12.5. On request from the Commission, Member States shall provide information on the transfers that have taken place. Formats of spreadsheet for the collection and transmission of information referred to in the present point may be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 30(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002.

13. Transfer of days between fishing vessels flying the flag of different member states

Member States may permit transfer of days present within the area for the same management period and within the area between any fishing vessels flying their flags provided the same provisions as laid down in points 4.1, 4.4, 6 and 12 apply. Where Member States decide to authorize such a transfer, they shall notify the Commission, before such transfers take place, the details of the transfer, including the number of days, the fishing effort and, where applicable, the fishing quotas relating thereto.

USE OF FISHING GEAR

14. Notification of fishing gear

Before the first day of each management period the master of a vessel or his representative shall notify to the authorities of the flag Member State which gear or gears he intends to use during the forthcoming management period. Until such notification is provided the vessel shall not be entitled to fish within the area defined in point 1 with any gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear referred to in point 3.

15. Combined used of regulated and unregulated fishing gear

A vessel wishing to combine the use of one or more of the fishing gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear referred to in point 3 (regulated gears) with any other grouping of fishing gear not referred to in point 3 (unregulated gears) will not be restricted in their use of the unregulated gear. Such vessels must pre-notify when the regulated gear is to be used. When no such notification has been given, none of the fishing gear belonging to the grouping of fishing gear referred to in point 3 may be carried on board. Such vessels must be authorised and equipped to undertake the alternative fishing activity with the unregulated gears.

TRANSIT

16. Transit

A vessel is allowed to transit across the area provided that it has no fishing permit to operate in the area or it has first notified its authorities of its intention to do so. While that vessel is within the area any fishing gears carried on board must be lashed and stowed in accordance with conditions laid down in Article 20(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93.

MONITORING, INSPECTION AND SURVEILLANCE

17. Fishing effort messages

Articles 19b, 19c, 19d, 19e and 19k of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 shall apply to vessels carrying on board gears belonging to the grouping of fishing gear defined in point 3 of this Annex and operating in the area defined in point 1 of this Annex. Vessels equipped with vessel monitoring systems in accordance with Article 5 and 6 of Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003 shall be excluded from these hailing requirements set out in Article 19(c) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93.

18. Recording of relevant data

Member States shall ensure that the following data received pursuant to Articles 8, 10(1) and 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003 are recorded in a computer-readable form:

(a)

entry into, and exit from port;

(b)

each entry into, and exit from maritime areas where specific rules on access to waters and resources apply.

19. Cross-checks

Member States shall verify the submission of logbooks and relevant information recorded in the logbook by using VMS data. Such cross-checks shall be recorded and made available to the Commission on request.

REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

20. Collection of relevant data

Member States, on the basis of information used for the management of fishing days present within the area as set out in this Annex, shall collect for each annual quarter the information about total fishing effort deployed within the area for towed gears and static gears and effort deployed by vessels using different types of gear in the area concerned by this Annex.

21. Communication of relevant data

21.1. On request of the Commission, Members States shall make available to the Commission a spreadsheet with the data referred to in point 20 in the format specified in Tables II and III by sending it to the appropriate electronic mailbox address, which shall be communicated to the Member States by the Commission.

21.2. A new format of spreadsheet for making the data referred to in point 20 available to the Commission may be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 30(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002.

Table II

Reporting format

Country	CFR	External marking	Length of management period	Area fished	Special condition applying to notified gear(s)				Days eligible using notified gear(s)				Days spent with notified gear(s)				Transfer of days
					No1	No2	No3	…	No1	No2	No3	…	No1	No2	No3	…
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(6)	(6)	(6)	(7)	(7)	(7)	(7)	(8)	(8)	(8)	(8)	(9)

Table III

Data format

a relevant information for transmission of data by fixed-length formatting.
Name of field	Maximum number of characters/digits	AlignmentaL(eft)/R(ight)	Definition and Comments
(1) Country	3	n/r	Member State (Alpha-3 ISO code) in which vessel is registered for fishing under Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002. In the case of the donor Vessel, it is always the reporting country
(2) CFR	12	n/r	Community Fleet Register number Unique identification number of a fishing vessel. Member State (Alpha-3 ISO code) followed by an identifying series (9 characters). Where a series has fewer than 9 characters additional zeros must be inserted on the left hand side.
(3) External marking	14	L	Under Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1381/87
(4) Length of management period	2	L	Length of the management period measured in months.
(5) Area fished	1	L	Non relevant information in the case of Annex IIB.
(6) Special condition applying to notified gear(s)	2	L	Indication of which, if any, of the special condition a-b referred to in point 7.2 of Annex IIB that apply.
(7) Days eligible using notified gear(s)	3	L	Number of days for which the vessel is eligible under Annex IIB for the choice of gears and length of management period notified
(8) Days spent with notified gear(s)	3	L	Number of days the vessel actually spent present within the area and using a gear corresponding to gear notified during the notified management period according to Annex IIB.
(9) Transfers of days	4	L	For days transferred indicate ‘– number of days transferred’ and for days received indicate ‘+ number of days transferred’