Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2006Show full title

CHAPTER IX U.K. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR COMMUNITY VESSELS FISHING IN THE AREA OF CCAMLR

SECTION 1 U.K. Restrictions and vessel information requirements

Article 55 U.K. Prohibitions and catch limitations

1. Direct fishing of the species set out in Annex XIII shall be prohibited in the zones and during the periods set out in that Annex.

2. For new and exploratory fisheries, the catch and by-catch limits set out in Annex XIV shall apply in the Subareas set out in that Annex.

Article 56 U.K. Information requirements relating to vessels authorised to fish in the Area of CCAMLR

1. As from 1 August 2007, Member States shall communicate to the Commission, in addition to the information requirements relating to authorised vessels set forth in Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004, the following in respect of such vessels:

(a) vessel IMO number (if issued);

(b) previous flag, if any;

(c) international Radio Call Sign;

(d) name and address of vessel's owner(s), and any beneficial owner(s), if known;

(e) type of vessel;

(f) where and when it was built;

(g) length;

(h) colour photograph of the vessel, which shall consist of:

(i)

one photograph not smaller than 12 x 7 cm showing the starboard side of the vessel, displaying its full overall length and complete structural features;

(ii)

one photograph not smaller than 12 x 7 cm showing the port side of the vessel, displaying its full overall length and complete structural features;

(iii)

one photograph not smaller than 12 x 7 cm showing the stern, taken directly from astern;

(i) measures taken to ensure tamper-proof operation of the satellite monitoring device installed on board.

2. As from 1 August 2007, Member States shall, to the extent practicable, also communicate to the Commission the following information relating to vessels authorised to fish in the Area of CCAMLR:

(a) name and address of operator, if different from vessel owner(s);

(b) names and nationality of master and, where relevant, of fishing master;

(c) type of fishing method or methods;

(d) beam (m);

(e) gross registered tonnage;

(f) vessel communication types and numbers (INMARSAT A, B and C numbers);

(g) normal crew complement;

(h) power of main engine or engines;

(i) carrying capacity (tonnes), number of fish holds and their capacity (m³);

(j) any other information (e.g. ice classification) considered appropriate.

Article 57 U.K. Report of vessel sightings

1. Should the master of a licensed fishing vessel sight a fishing vessel within the Area of CCAMLR, he shall, where possible, document as much information as possible on each such sighting, including:

(a) name and description of the vessel;

(b) vessel call sign;

(c) registration number and the Lloyds/IMO number of the vessel;

(d) flag state of the vessel;

(e) photographs of the vessel to support the report;

(f) any other relevant information regarding the observed activities of the sightedvessel.

2. The master shall forward a report containing the information referred to in paragraph 1 to his flag State as soon as possible. The flag State shall submit to the CCAMLR Secretariat any such reports if the sighted vessel is engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) activities according to CCAMLR standards.

SECTION 2 U.K. Exploratory fisheries

Article 58 U.K. Participation in exploratory fisheries

1. Fishing vessels flying the flag of, and registered in, Spain that have been notified to CCAMLR in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004 may participate in long-line exploratory fisheries for Dissostichus spp. in Subareas FAO 88.1 and 88.2 as well as in Divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2, 58.4.3a) outside Areas of national jurisdiction and 58.4.3b) outside Areas of national jurisdiction.

2. No more than one fishing vessel per Member State shall fish in Divisions 58.4.3a) and 58.4.3b) at any one time.

3. With regard to Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2, total catch and by-catch limits per Subarea and Division, and their distribution among Small Scale Research Units (SSRUs) within each of them shall be as set out in Annex XIV. Fishing in any SSRU shall cease when the reported catch reaches the specified catch limit, and that SSRU shall be closed to fishing for the remainder of the season.

4. Fishing shall take place over as large a geographical and bathymetric range as possible to obtain the information necessary to determine fishery potential and to avoid over-concentration of catch and fishing effort. However, fishing in Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 shall be prohibited in depths less than 550 m.

Article 59 U.K. Reporting systems

Fishing vessels participating in the exploratory fisheries as referred to in Article 58 shall be subject to the following catch and effort reporting systems:

(a)

the Five-day Catch and Effort Reporting System set out in Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004, with the exception that Member States shall submit to the Commission catch and effort reports not later than two working days after the end of each reporting period, for immediate transmission to CCAMLR. In Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as in Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2, reporting shall be made by Small Scale Research Units;

(b)

the Monthly fine-scale Catch and Effort Reporting System set out in Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004;

(c)

the total number and weight of Dissostichus eleginoides and Dissostichus mawsoni discarded, including those with the ‘jellymeat’ condition, shall be reported.

Article 60 U.K. Special requirements

1. The exploratory fisheries as referred to in Article 58 shall be carried out in accordance with Article 8 of Council Regulation (EC) No 600/2004 of 22 March 2004 laying down certain technical measures applicable to fishing activities in the area covered by the Convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources(1) with regard to applicable measures to reduce the incidental mortality of seabirds in the course of long-line fisheries. In addition to these measures:

(a) the discharge of offal shall be prohibited in these fisheries;

(b) vessels participating in exploratory fisheries in Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 which comply with CCAMLR Protocols (A, B or C) for longline weighting shall be exempted from the night-setting requirement; however, vessels which catch a total of three seabirds shall immediately revert to night setting in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004;

(c) vessels participating in exploratory fisheries in Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as Divisions 58.4.3a) and 58.4.3b) which catch a total of three seabirds shall cease fishing immediately and shall not be permitted to fish outside the normal fishing season for the remainder of the 2006/07 season.

2. Fishing vessels participating in exploratory fisheries in FAO Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

(a) Vessels shall be prohibited from discharging:

(i)

oil or fuel products or oily residues into the sea, except as permitted in Annex I to MARPOL 73/78 (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships);

(ii)

garbage;

(iii)

food wastes not capable of passing through a screen with openings no greater than 25 mm;

(iv)

poultry or parts thereof (including egg shells);

(v)

sewage within 12 nautical miles of land or ice shelves, or sewage while the ship is travelling at a speed of less than 4 knots;

(vi)

incineration ash; or

(vii)

offal.

(b) no live poultry or other living birds shall be brought into Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 and any dressed poultry not consumed shall be removed from Subareas 88.1 and 88.2;

(c) fishing for Dissostichus spp. in Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 shall be prohibited within 10 nautical miles of the coast of the Balleny Islands.

Article 61 U.K. Definition of hauls

1. For the purposes of this Section, a haul shall comprise the setting of one or more lines in a single location. The precise geographic position of a haul shall be determined by the centre-point of the line or lines deployed for the purposes of catch and effort reporting.

2. To be designated as a research haul:

a. each research haul shall be separated by no less than five nautical miles from any other research haul, distance to be measured from the geographical mid-point of each research haul;

b. each haul shall comprise at least 3 500 hooks and no more than 10 000 hooks; this may comprise a number of separate lines set in the same location;

c. each haul of a longline shall have a soak time of not less than six hours, measured from the time of completion of the setting process to the beginning of the hauling process.

Article 62 U.K. Research plans

Fishing vessels participating in the exploratory fisheries referred to in Article 58 shall implement Research Plans, in each and all SSRUs in which FAO Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 are divided. The Research Plan shall be implemented in the following manner:

(a)

on first entry into a SSRU, the first 10 hauls, designated ‘first series’, shall be designated ‘research hauls’ and must satisfy the criteria set out in Article 61(2);

(b)

the next 10 hauls, or 10 tonnes of catch, whichever trigger level is achieved first, shall be designated the ‘second series’. Hauls in the second series may, at the discretion of the master, be fished as part of normal exploratory fishing. However, provided they satisfy the requirements of Article 61(2), these hauls may also be designated as research hauls;

(c)

on completion of the first and second series of hauls, if the master wishes to continue to fish within the SSRU, the vessel shall undertake a ‘third series’ which shall result in a total of 20 research hauls being made in all three series. The third series of hauls shall be completed during the same visit as the first and the second series in a SSRU;

(d)

on completion of 20 research hauls of the third series, the vessel may continue to fish within the SSRU;

(e)

in SSRUs A, B, C, E and G in Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 where fishable seabed area is less than 15 000 km², points (b), (c) and (d) shall not apply and on completion of 10 research hauls the vessel may continue to fish within the SSRU.

Article 63 U.K. Data collection plans

1. Fishing vessels participating in the exploratory fisheries referred to in Article 58 shall implement data collection plans, in each and all SSRUs in which FAO Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 are divided. The Data Collection Plan shall comprise the following data:

(a) the position and sea depth at each end of every line in a haul;

(b) the setting, soak, and hauling times;

(c) the number and species of fish lost at surface;

(d) the number of hooks set;

(e) the bait type;

(f) the baiting success ( %);

(g) the hook type; and

(h) the sea and cloud conditions and phase of the moon at the time of setting the lines.

2. All data referred to under paragraph 1 shall be collected for every research haul; in particular, all fish in a research haul up to 100 fish are to be measured and at least 30 fish sampled for biological studies. Where more than 100 fish are caught, a method for randomly subsampling the fish shall be applied.

Article 64 U.K. Tagging programme

1. Each fishing vessel participating in the exploratory fisheries as referred to in Article 58 shall implement a tagging programme as follows:

(a) Dissostichus spp. individuals shall be tagged and released in accordance with the provisions set out in the CCAMLR Tagging Program and Protocol for Dissostichus spp. in exploratory fisheries. Vessels shall only discontinue tagging after they have tagged 500 individuals, or leave the fishery having tagged one individual per tonne of green weight caught;

(b) the programme shall target individuals of all sizes in order to meet the tagging requirement. Only toothfish that are in good condition shall be tagged. All released individuals shall be double-tagged and releases shall cover as broad a geographical area as possible;

(c) all tags shall be clearly imprinted with a unique serial number and a return address so that the origin of tags can be retraced in the case of recapture of the tagged individual;

(d) all recaptured tagged individuals (i.e. fish caught that have a previously inserted tag) shall not be re-released, even if they were at liberty for only a short period;

(e) all recaptured tagged individuals shall be biologically sampled (length, weight, sex, gonad stage), an electronic photograph taken if possible, the otoliths recovered and the tag removed;

(f) all relevant tag data and any data recording tag recaptures shall be reported electronically in the CCAMLR format to CCAMLR within three months of the vessel departing these fisheries;

(g) all relevant tag data, any data recording tag recaptures, and specimens from recaptures shall also be reported electronically in the CCAMLR format to the relevant regional tag data repository as detailed in the CCAMLR Tagging Protocol.

2. Toothfish that are tagged and released shall not be counted against the catch limits.

Article 65 U.K. Scientific observers and inspectors

1. Each fishing vessel participating in the exploratory fisheries referred to in Article 58 shall have at least two scientific observers, one of which shall be an observer appointed in accordance with the CCAMLR Scheme of International Scientific Observation, on board throughout all fishing activities within the fishing period.

2. Each Member State, subject to and in accordance with their applicable laws and regulations, including rules governing the admissibility of evidence in domestic courts, shall consider and act on reports from inspectors of a designating CCAMLR Member under this scheme on the same basis as reports from its own inspectors and both the Contracting Party and the designating CCAMLR Member concerned shall cooperate in order to facilitate judicial or other proceedings arising from any such report.

Article 66 U.K. Notifications of intent to participate in a krill fishery

Each Member State intending to fish for krill in the Area of CCAMLR shall notify the CCAMLR Secretariat of its intention not less than four months in advance of the regular annual meeting of the Commission, immediately prior to the season in which it intends to fish.

Article 67 U.K. Interim prohibition of deep-sea gillnetting

1. The use of gillnets in the Area of CCAMLR, for purposes other than scientific research, shall be prohibited until the Scientific Committee has investigated and reported on the potential impacts of this gear and the Commission has agreed on the basis of advice from the Scientific Committee that such a method may be used in the Area of CCAMLR.

2. The use of gillnets for scientific research in waters deeper than 100 meters shall be notified in advance to the Scientific Committee and be approved by the Commission before such research can commence.

3. Any vessel seeking to transit the Area of CCALMR carrying gillnets shall give advance notice of its intent, including the expected dates of its passage through the Area of CCAMLR to the CCAMLR Secretariat. Any vessel in possession of gillnets within the Area of CCAMLR which has not given such an advance notice, shall be in breach of these provisions.

Article 68 U.K. Interim restrictions on the use of bottom trawling gear in the high-seas of the Area of CCAMLR for the fishing seasons 2006/07 and 2007/08

1. The use of bottom trawling gear in the high-seas areas of the Area of CCAMLR shall be restricted to areas for which the Commission has conservation measures in force for bottom trawling gear.

2. This restrictive measure shall not apply to the use of bottom trawling gear in conducting scientific research in the Area of CCAMLR.

(1)

OJ L 97, 1.4.2004, p. 1.