ANNEX II

Trawls, Danish seines and similar gear: mesh size ranges, target species and required catch percentages applicable

Target species

Mesh size range (mm)

< 16

16 ≤ and < 32

16 ≤ and < 105

32 ≤ and < 90

32 ≤ and < 105

≥ 9012

≥ 1051112

Groups of subdivisions

22-32

22-27

28-32

22-23

24-27

22-23

22-32

Minimum percentage of target species

9010

901014

9010

901013

901013

90

100

Sand eels (Ammodytidae)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Sprat (Sprattus sprattus)

*

*

*

*

*

*

Herring (Clupea harengus)

*

*

*

*

*

Sole (Solea vulgaris)

*

*

Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)

*

*

Whiting (Merlangius merlangus)

*

*

Brill (Scophthalmus rhombus)

*

*

Dab (Limanda limanda)

*

*

Flounder (Platichthys flesus)

*

*

Lemon sole (Microstomus kitt)

*

*

Turbot (Psetta maxima)

*

*

Cod (Gadus morhua)

*

The catch retained on board shall consist of no more than 3 % of cod by live weight.

Only trawls, Danish seines and similar gears with Bacoma exit window or with T90 codend and extension piece with mesh size and specifications as laid down in Appendices I and II shall be authorised.

The use of beam trawl shall not be authorised.

The catch retained on board may consist of up to 40 % of whiting by live weight.

The catch retained on board may consist of up to 45 % of herring by live weight.

Appendix 1Specifications of top window codend BACOMA

1.Description

(a)Identification of window

(i)

The window shall be a rectangular section of netting in the codend. There shall be only one window.

(b)Size of the codend, extension piece and the rear end of the trawl

(i)

The codend shall be constructed of two panels, joined together by selvedges one on each side of equal length.

(ii)

The minimum mesh size of the diamond meshes shall be 105 mm. The material of the yarn shall be of polyethylene threads with a single twine thickness of no more than 6 mm or with double twine thickness of no more than 4 mm respectively.

(iii)

The use of codends and extension pieces which are made of only one piece of net material and have only one selvedge shall be prohibited.

(iv)

The number of open diamond meshes, excluding those in the selvedges, at any point on any circumference of any extension piece shall not be less or more than the maximum number of meshes on the circumference of the front end of the codend (Figure 1).

(c)Location of window

(i)

The window shall be inserted into the top panel of the codend (Figure 2).

(ii)

The window shall terminate not more than four meshes from the codline, inclusive of the hand-braided row of meshes through which the codline is passed (Figure 3 or 4).

(d)Size of window

(i)

The width of the window, expressed in number of mesh bars, shall be equal to the number of open diamond meshes in the top panel divided by two. If necessary, it will be allowed to maintain at the most 20 % of the number of open diamond meshes in the top panel divided evenly on the both sides of the window panel (Figure 4).

(ii)

The length of the window shall be at least 3,5 m.

(iii)

By way of derogation from point ii the length of the window shall be at least 4 m if a sensor dedicated to the measurement of the volume of the catches is attached to the window.

(e)Netting of window

(i)

The meshes shall have a minimum mesh opening of 110 mm. The meshes shall be square meshes i.e. all four sides of the window netting will be cut all bars.

(ii)

The netting shall be mounted such that the bars run parallel and perpendicular to the length of the codend. The netting shall be knotless braided single twine or netting with similar proven selective properties. Knotless netting means netting which is composed of meshes of four sides in which the corners of the meshes are formed by the interweaving of the twines of two adjacent sides of the mesh.

(iii)

The diameter of the single yarn shall be at least 5 mm.

(f)Other specifications

(i)

The mounting specifications are defined in Figures 3 and 4.

(ii)The length of the lifting strap shall not be less than:

  1. 1.

    4 m for a codend of circumference of between 100 and 89 diamond meshes measured in front of the window;

  2. 2.

    3,5 m for a codend of circumference between 88 and 75 diamond meshes measured in front of the window and;

  3. 3.

    3 m for a codend of circumference of less than 75 diamond meshes measured in front of the window.

(iii)

A back strap shall not encircle the BACOMA exit window. It shall be made of rope not more than 20 mm in diameter and be at least 2 m long.

(iv)

A codend buoy shall be spherical in shape and have a maximum diameter of 40 cm. It shall be fastened through the buoy rope to the cod line.

(v)

A flapper shall not overlap the BACOMA exit window.

2.Conditions for the repair of square mesh panels

(a)General conditions

(i)

The use of a square mesh BACOMA exit window which has 10 % or more meshes repaired shall be prohibited.

(ii)

Square meshes which have been damaged shall be repaired according to the prescribed method.

(iii)

A repaired mesh is any mesh where the mesh opening is reduced by a repair of damaged meshes or by the joining of two pieces of knotless square mesh netting.

(b)Method for repairing the damaged meshes in the BACOMA exit window

Image_r00001

(i)

Clean the hole.

(ii)

Count the meshes to be replaced. Prepare a patch using knotless braided single twine that is the same material, diameter and strength of the net needing to be patched.

(iii)

The patch should be no more than two meshes larger in each direction than the cleaned-up hole to provide sufficient netting to overlap the edges of the hole.

(iv)

Lay the patch over the hole and lace it to the existing netting using braided twine, as shown in the illustration.

(v)

Make sure to lace the crosses of the netting together.

(vi)

Continue lacing around the hole so that you have at least two rows of lacing around the patch.

(vii)

The patched hole will resemble the above illustration when finished.

Figure 1

Trawl gear can be divided into three different sections according to shape and function. The trawl body is always a tapered section. The extension piece is an untapered section normally manufactured of either one or two pieces of nets. The codend is also an untapered section often made of double twine in order to have a better resistance against heavy wearing. The part below the lifting strap is called lifting bag.

Image_r00002

Figure 2
A

Extension piece

B

Codend

C

Escape window, square mesh panel

1

Upper panel, maximum 50 open diamond meshes

2

Lower panel, maximum 50 open diamond meshes

3

Selvedges

4

Joining round or lacing

5

Lifting strap

6

Back strap

7

Codline

8

Distance of window from codline (Figures 3 and 4)

9

Buoy rope

10

Codend buoy

Image_r00003

Figure 3
MOUNTING OF WINDOW PANEL
A

110 m square mesh panel (25bars)

B

Joining of square mesh panel to selvedge

C

Joining of square mesh panel to diamond mesh net, except edge bars of window from both sides Two diamond meshes/one bar in a square mesh

D

105 mm diamond mesh net (maximum 50 open meshes)

E

Distance of the window panel from the codline. The window shall terminate not more than four meshes from the codline, inclusive of the hand-braided row of meshes through which the codline is passed

F

One row of hand-braided codline meshes

Image_r00004

Figure 4
MOUNTING OF WINDOW PANEL
A

110 mm square mesh panel (20 bars)

B

Joining of square mesh panel to selvedge

C

Joining of square mesh panel to diamond mesh net, except edge bars of window from both sides

2 diamond meshes/1 bar in a square mesh

D

105 mm diamond mesh net (max 50 open meshes)

E

Distance of the window panel from the codline. The window shall terminate not more than 4 meshes from the codline, inclusive of the hand-braided row of meshes through which the codline is passed

F

One row of hand-braided codline meshes

G

Maximum 10 % in both sides of open meshes D

Image_r00005

Appendix 2SPECIFICATIONS OF THE TRAWL

(a)Definition

1.

T90 trawls are defined as trawls, Danish seines and similar gears having a codend and extension piece produced from diamond knotted netting turned 90° so that the main direction of run of the netting twine is parallel to the towing direction.

2.

The direction of run of the netting twine in a standard diamond knotted net (A) and in a net turned 90° (B) is illustrated in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1

Image_r00006

(b)Mesh size and masurement

The mesh size shall be at least 110 mm. By way of derogation from Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 129/2003, the mesh size in the codend and the extension piece shall be measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fishing gear.

(c)Twine thickness

The material of the yarn of the codend and the extension piece shall be of polyethylene threads with a single twine thickness of no more than 6 mm or with double twine thickness of no more than 4 mm respectively. This provision shall not apply to the rear most row of meshes in the codend if fitted with a codline.

(d)Construction

1.

A codend and extension of turned meshes (T90) shall be constructed from two panels of equal dimensions, with the same number of meshes in width and length, and with the mesh orientation described above, joined by two lateral selvedges. Each panel shall be constructed with non-slip knots and in such a way that the meshes remain fully open at all times when in use.

2.

The number of open meshes in any circumference must be constant from the front part of the extension to the rear most part of the codend.

3.

At the point of attachment of the codend or extension piece to the tapered part of the trawl, the number of meshes in circumference of the codend or extension piece must be 50 % of the last row of meshes of the tapered part of the trawl.

4.

A codend and extension piece is illustrated in Figure 2 below.

(e)Circumference

The number of meshes in any circumference in the codend and the extension piece, excluding joinings and selvedges shall be no more than 50.

(f)Joining rounds

The forward edge of the panels composing both codend and extension piece shall be fitted out with a braided row of half meshes. The aft edge of codend panel shall be fitted out by a full row of braided meshes able to guide the codline.

(g)Lifting strap

The length of the lifting strap shall be no less than 3,5 m.

(h)Codend buoy

A codend buoy shall be spherical in shape and have a maximum diameter of 40 cm. It shall be fastened through the buoy rope to the codline.

Figure 2

Image_r00007