Council Regulation (EC) No 2187/2005 (repealed)Show full title

Article 5 Structure of fishing gear

1. No device shall be used which obstructs or otherwise diminishes the mesh in the codend.

2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, it shall be permitted to attach to the outside of the lower half of the codend of any active gear, any canvas, netting or other material which has the purpose of preventing or reducing wear. Such material shall be attached along the forward and lateral edges of the codend only.

3. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, when fishing with trawls, Danish seines or similar gears with a mesh size less than 90 mm, it shall be permitted to attach to the outside of the codend a strengthening bag. The mesh size of the strengthening bag shall be at least twice as large as that of the codend and in no case less than 80 mm.

A strengthening bag may be attached at the following points:

(a) at its forward edge;

(b) at its rear edge; or

(c) circumferentially between the rear and front part.

A strengthening bag may be laced:

(a) circumferentially to the codend and the extension piece around one row of meshes; or

(b) longitudinally along a single row of meshes.

4. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, it shall be permitted to:

(a) use in active gear a non-return net or flapper. The flapper may be attached either inside the codend or in front of the codend. The provisions on minimum mesh sizes laid down in Annex II shall not apply to the flapper. The distance from the point of forward attachment of the flapper to the rear end of the codend shall be at least three times the length of the flapper;

(b) attach to the outside of any part of the codend a sensor dedicated to the measurement of the volume of the catches;

(c) use round straps and a lifting strap attached to the outside of the codend when fishing with trawls, Danish seines or similar gears with a mesh size smaller than 90 mm;

(d) use one lifting strap attached to the outside of the codend when fishing with trawls, Danish seines or similar gears with a mesh size equal to or larger than 90 mm;

(e) attach floats on the two lateral selvedges of the codend;

(f) use a back strap attached to the outside of the codend. The distance between the back strap and the codline shall be equal to or smaller than 50 cm.