Council Regulation (EC) No 27/2005Show full title

PART G EASTERN ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN SEAS

19. Minimum size for bluefin tuna in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea

By way of derogation from the provisions laid down in Article 6 and Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 973/2001, the minimum size for bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea shall be 10 kg or 80 cm.

By way of derogation from the provisions laid down in Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 973/2001, no tolerance limit shall be granted for bluefin tuna fished in the East Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea.

20. Minimum size for bigeye tuna

By way of derogation from the provisions of Article 6 and Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 973/2001, the minimum size of bigeye tuna is abolished.

21. Restrictions on the use of certain types of vessels and gears

1.

In order to protect the bigeye stock, in particular juvenile fish, fishing by purse seiners and baitboats shall be prohibited during the period and in the area specified in point (a) and (b) below;

(a)

The area is the following:

Southern limit

:

parallel 0° South latitude

Northern limit

:

parallel 5° North latitude

Western limit

:

meridian 20° West longitude

Eastern limit

:

meridian 10° West longitude

(b)

The period covered by the prohibition shall be from 1 November to 30 November of each year.

2.

By way of derogation from the provisions of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 973/2001, Community fishing vessels shall be authorised to fish without restriction on the use of certain types of vessels and gears in the area referred to in Article 3(2) and during the period specified in Article 3(1).

22. Measures concerning sport and recreational fishing activities in the Mediterranean Sea

1.

Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to forbid the use, within the framework of sport and recreational fishing of towed nets, encircling nets, seine sliding, dredger, gillnets, trammel nets and longline to fish for tuna and tuna-like species, notably bluefin tuna, in the Mediterranean Sea.

2.

Each Member State shall ensure that catches of tuna and tuna-like species carried out in the Mediterranean Sea as a result from sport and recreational fishing are not marketed.

23. Sampling plan for bluefin Tuna

By way of derogation from the provisions laid down in Article 5a of Regulation (EC) No 973/2001, each Member State shall establish a sampling programme for the estimation of the numbers-at-size of the bluefin tuna caught; this requires notably that size sampling at cages must be done on one sample (= 100 specimen) for every 100 tonnes of live fish. Size sample will be collected during harvesting(1) at the farm, in accordance with the ICCAT methodology for reporting Task II. The sampling should be conducted during any harvesting, covering all cages. Data must be transmitted to ICCAT by 31 July for the sampling conducted the previous year.

24. Interim measures for the protection of vulnerable deep-water habitats

It shall be prohibited to conduct bottom trawling and fishing with static gear, including bottom gill-nets and long-lines, within the areas enclosed by sequentially joining with rhumb lines the following positions, which shall be measured according to the WGS84 coordinate system:

The Hecate Seamounts:

• 52°21.2866′N, 31°09.2688′W

• 52°20.8167′N, 30°51.5258′W

• 52°12.0777′N, 30°54.3824′W

• 52°12.4144′N, 31°14.8168′W

• 52°21.2866′N, 31°09.2688′W

The Faraday Seamounts:

• 50°01.7968′N, 29°37.8077′W

• 49°59.1490′N, 29°29.4580′W

• 49°52.6429′N, 29°30.2820′W

• 49°44.3831′N, 29°02.8711′W

• 49°44.4186′N, 28°52.4340′W

• 49°36.4557′N, 28°39.4703′W

• 49°29.9701′N, 28°45.0183′W

• 49°49.4197′N, 29°42.0923′W

• 50°01.7968′N, 29°37.8077′W

Part of the Reykjanes Ridge:

• 55°04.5327′N, 36°49.0135′W

• 55°05.4804′N, 35°58.9784′W

• 54°58.9914′N, 34°41.3634′W

• 54°41.1841′N, 34°00.0514′W

• 54°00.0′N, 34°00.0′W

• 53°54.6406′N, 34°49.9842′W

• 53°58.9668′N, 36°39.1260′W

• 55°04.5327′N, 36°49.0135′W

The Altair Seamounts:

• 44°50.4953′N, 34°26.9128′W

• 44°47.2611′N, 33°48.5158′W

• 44°31.2006′N, 33°50.1636′W

• 44°38.0481′N, 34°11.9715′W

• 44°38.9470′N, 34°27.6819′W

• 44°50.4953′N, 34°26.9128′W

The Antialtair Seamounts:

• 43°43.1307′N, 22°44.1174′W

• 43°39.5557′N, 22°19.2335′W

• 43°31.2802′N, 22°08.7964′W

• 43°27.7335′N, 22°14.6192′W

• 43°30.9616′N, 22°32.0325′W

• 43°40.6286′N, 22°47.0288′W

• 43°43.1307′N, 22°44.1174′W

(1)

For fish farmed more than 1 year, other additional sampling methods should be established.