COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
C0M(93) 467 final 
Brussels, 3 December 1993 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 
laying down <eitam conservation and management measuies loi lislwiy lesouires in the 
Re('ul.i(oiy Aiea as defined in die Convention on limite Mululaieial ( oopci .mou in tlie 
North West Atlantic lisliencs 
(presented by the Commission) 
A 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
This proposal relates to the Community's international obligations with 
regard to the conservation of the living resources in the Nortwest 
Atlantic beyond the fishing areas of coastal States (NAFO Regulatory 
Area). It contains limits on the volume of catches for the Community 
fishing fleet in 1994, technical conservation measures and measures 
facilitating and reinforcing the control and Inspection of the fishing 
activities In that area. Some existing measures are included in this 
proposa I . 
It is proposed that full Implementation should be given to the 
recommendations of the NAFO Fisheries Commission for 1994 concerning 
cod In divisions 3M, 3N0 and 2J3KL 
redflsh in division 3M and 3LN 
American plaice in divisons 3M and 3LN0 
yellowtail in division 3LN0 
witch in division 3N0 
cape I In in division 3N0 
squid (I Ilex) in subdivisions 3 and 4. 
A ©.-
COUNCIL RECULAI ION ( EC) No 
of 
laying down certain conservation and management measures foi fishery resources m the 
Regulatory Area as defined in the Convention on future Multilateral Coopctauon in the 
North West Atlantic Fisheries 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Community, Article 8 of Regulation (LLC) No 3760/92, .t falls 
to the Council to establish the total allowable catches 
(TACs) by stock or group of stocks, the share available for 
the Community and the specific conditions under which 
catches must be made and to allocate the share available to 
the Community among the Member States, 
Having regard to Council Regulation (LLC) No 376U/92 
of 20 December 1992vStabhshing a Community system for 
fisheries and aquaculture ('), and in particular Article 8§(4) 
thereof, Wheieas, in ordei to ensure the conservation of fishery 
resources and then balanced exploitation, techuic.il 
conservation measures must be defined, inter alia foi mesh 
sizes, the level of by-catches and authorized fish sizes. 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas the Community has signed the United Nations' 
Convention on the Law of the Sea, which contains 
prinicplcs and rules relating to the conservation and 
management of the living resources within the exclusive 
economic zones of the coastal States and in the high seas; Whereas to enable controls to be earned out on i atrhes 
from the Regulatory Area while supplementing the 
monitoring measures provided for in Regulation (LLC) No 
2847/93 (3) certain specific control measures arc to be 
defined, inter alia, for the declaration of catches, the 
communication of information, the holding of 
non-authorized nets and information and assistance 
relating to the storage and processing of catches, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Whereas the Convention on Luture Multilateral 
Cooperation in the North West Atlantic Fisheries, 
hereinafter referred to as the NAEO Convention, was 
approved by the Council in Regulation (EEC) No 
3179/78 (2) and entered into force on 1 January 1979; 
whereas the Regulatory Area as defined consists of that 
part of the Convention Area which lies beyond the areas in 
which coastal States exercise fisheries jurisdiction; 
Whereas the NAEO Convention establishes a suitable 
framework for the rational conservation and management 
of the fishery resources of the Regulatory Area with a view 
to achieving the optimum utilization thereof; whereas, to 
this end, the Contracting Parties undertake to carry out 
|Oint measures; 
Whereas, in the light of the available scientific advice, the 
catches of certain species in ceit.iui parts of the Regulatory 
Area should be limited and whereas, in accordance with Article" 1 
Scope 
1. This Regulation shall apply to Community fishermen 
who take and retain on boatd fish from rcsouices of the 
Regulatory Area and shall operate in furtherance of the 
objectives and principles of the NALO Convention 
?.. With a view to ensuring through the |omt action <>f 
the Contracting Parties the rational conservation .nul 
management of the fishery resources of the Regulator\ 
Area for the purpose of achieving the optimum utilization 
thereof, this Regulation lays down 
limits on c atches. 
(') OJ No I 189. II 1/ 199.», ,> I 
(') <)| No I l/«, 10 i; 19/H. ,. I OojNoi. 261, 20.10.1993, p. 1 
No 1 
re< hme ai < onsri vation measures, 
niter national (011(10! measures, 
provisions relating to the processing and transmission 
of certain scientific and statistical data 
A rlit le ? 
Community participation 
I. Member Stales shall forward to the Commission a list of 
all vessels registered in their ports 01 flying their flag which 
intend to take part m the fishing activities in the Regulatory 
Area at least 30 days before the intended commencement of 
such activity or, as the case may be, not later than the 20th 
day following the date of entry into force of this 
Regulation. The information forwarded shall include: 
(a) name of vessel; 
(b) official registration number of the vessel assigned by the 
competent national authorities; 
(c) home port of the vessel; 
(d) name of owner or charterer of the vessel; 
(e) a declaration that the master has been provided with a 
copy of the icgulations in forer m the Regulatory 
Area; 
(f) the prinapal species fished by the vessel in the 
Regulatory Area; 
(g) the sub-areas where the vessel may be expected to 
fish. 
Article 3 
Limits on catches 
Catches in 199*» of the species set out in Annex 1 hereto by 
fishing vessels registered in the pons of Member States or 
flying their flag shall IK- limited, within the divisions of the 
Regulatory Area referred to in that Annex, to the quotas 
set out therein. 
Article 4 
I eclimc ai measures 
1 Mesh sizes 
1 he use of trawl net having in any section thereof net 
meshes of dimensions less than 1 30 mm shall be prohibited 
foi direct fishing of the species referred to in Annex (I 
heieto. I his mesh size shall be reduced to 60 mm for durci 
fishing of short-finned squid. 
However, up to I June 1994, the use of a trawl net or such 
section of any trawl net as is made of hemp, polyamide 
fibres or polyester fibres with a minimum mesh size of 
120 mm shall be authorized for the fishing of the species 
listed in Annex II. 
Vonnola f lolling for alulmp ( l-antla luo boroalLa) 
"hall uno noln with a minimum mouli Biro of 4 0mm. ) A 11 a < h nic ii i s i o n< i -, 
I he use- of any means CM device other than those des< nbcil 
in this paragraph which obstructs the meshes of a t\<i 01 
which diminishes then size shall be prohibited 
Canvas, netting, 01 any other material may be attached to 
the underside of the cod end m order to reduce or prevent 
damage 
Devices may be attached 10 the upper side of the cod end 
provided that they do not obstruct the meshes of the 
c od end I he use of topside chafers shall be limned to 
those mentioned in Annex III hereto 
Vessels fishing for shrimp (Pjndilus boreal is) 
ohall use sorting grids or graces with a maximum 
spacing between bars of 28mm. 
i Ii y c a t ches 
by catches of the species hsied in Annex I for which no 
quotas have been fixed by the ( .omrntmii y for a pan of the 
Regulatory Area and i.ilni m that pari when fishing 
directly for 
one or more of the spe« ies listed in Annex I, or 
one or more of spe< ies other than those listed m 
Annex I, 
may not exceed for each species on board 2 500 kg or 
10 % by weight of all fish on board, whichever is the 
greater. However, in a pan of the Regulatory Area where 
directed fishing of certain species is banned, by-catches of 
each of the species listed in Annex I may not exceed 
1 250 kg or 5 % respectively. 
For vessels fishing for shrimp (Pandalus boréales), 
in the event that total by-catches of all species 
listed in Annex I, in any haul exceed 10% by 
weight, vessels shall immediately change fishing 
area (minimum S nautical miles) in order to seek to 
avoid further by-catches of these* species. 
«1. Minimum size- of fish 
Lish from the Regulatory Area which do not have the size 
required as set out in Annex IV may not be retained on 
board or be transhipped, landed, transported, stored, sold, 
displayed or offered for sale, but shall be returned 
immediately to the sea Where the quantity of caught fish 
not having the requued size exceeds in certain fishing 
waters 10 % of the total quantity, the vessel must move 
away to a distance of ar least five nautical miles before-
continuing fishing 
Annie S 
(. '.ontiol incisures 
I In addition to complying with Articles 6, 8, 11 and 12 
of Regulation (LLC) No 2847/93, makers of vessels shall 
enter in the logbook the information listed in Anne• * V 
hereto. 
J> 
In complying with Article 15 of the said Regulation, 
Member States shall also infotm the Commission of catches 
of species not suh|cct to quota. 
?. When fishing duectly for one 01 more of the species 
listed m Annex II, vessels may not carry nets the mesh size 
of which is smaller than that laid down m Article 4(1) (b) length sampling, shall be provided foi boih nominal 
catches .\t\d disc aids, wiih a sampling nnensity on the 
same scale as adopted in (a) MH\ summ.w i/c el on a 
monthly basis 
) In order to assess the effects of cod by catches in (he 
ledfish and flatfish fisheries on the flemish ( ap 
However, vessels fishing in the com se of the same voyage 
in areas other than the Regulatory Area may keep such nets 
on board provided these nets are securely lashed and 
stowed and are not available for immediate use, that is to 
say 
(a) nets shall be unshackled from their boards and then 
hauling or trawling cables and ropes, 
(b) nets carried on or above the deck must be lashed 
securely to a part of the superstructure (a) Member Srates shall supply, based upon (he relevant 
entries in the logbook as provided for by Article S ( 1 ), 
statistics on discards of cod taken in the redfish and 
flatfish fisheries in the above area, m addition to 
normal leports, summanzed on a monthly basis, 
(b) length sampling of cod taken in the redfish and flatfish 
fisheries in the above area, shall be provided for the 
two components separately, with depth information 
accompanying each sample, summarized on a monthly 
basts 
5 I he masteis of fishing, vessels flying the flag of a 
Member State or registered m one of its potts shall, in 
respect of catches of the species listed in Annex I, keep-
fa) a logbook stating, by species and by piocessed product, 
the aggregate output, oi I Length samples shall be lalen bom all pans <>t ih> 
respective catch of each spe. ies concer ued m sue h .i manner 
that at least one statistically significant sample is taken 
from the first haul taken each day I he si-'e of a fish shall 
be measured fiom the tip of the snout to the end of the tail 
(b) a storage plan, by species, of ptoducts processed, 
indicating where they are located m the hold 
Masters of vessels must provide the necessary assistance to 
enable the quantities declared in the logbook and the 
processes products stored on board to be verified lor the purposes set out in paragraphs I and .'. length 
samples taken as described in this Regulation shall be 
deemed to be representative of all catches of the species 
concerned. 
Article 6 
Statistical and scientific data 
I In order to secure advice on localized and seasonal 
concentrations of juvenile American plaice and ycllowtail 
flounder m division il.NO of the Regulatory Area 
(a) Member States shall provide, based upon the relevant 
entries in the logbook, as provided foi by Article 5(1), 
nominal catch and disc aid statistics, broken down by 
unit ateas no latgei than 1" latitude ,ii\à 1° longitude, 
summarized on a monthly basts. Arti, If y 
Ibis Regulation shall nun into force on I (anuai i'v< 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in ill Membei 
States 
Done at lirussels. 
lor the < oicnc. </ 
The I'rentleni 
«Y 
No L 
ANNEX I 
Stock 
Species 
Cod 
Cod Geographical region 
North-west Atlantic 
North-west Atlantic Zone 
NAEO 2 J - 3 KL 
NAFO 3 NO Member State 199f quota 
(tonnes) 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 1832 
28 
345 
3 
EC total 2213 
Cod North-west Atlantic NAFO 3 M Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available lor Meinbei States 
EC total 513 
1574 
221 
2155 
1022 
5485 
r 
No I. 
Species 
A(l.iinic ledfish 
Atlantic redfish 
American plaice Stock 
Geographical region 
Noitli wesi Atlantic 
North west Atlantic 
North-west Atlantic Zone 
NAFO i M 
NAFO i IN 
NAFO 3 M (1) Member State 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total 1 V9l» ciuoia 
(tonnes) 
4030 
476 
476 
175 
(1) There will be no direct fishing on this species, which will be caught only as a by-catch, 
without prejudice to the rules set out in article 4.3 hereof. 
e 
No L 
Stock 
Species 
American plaice 
Yellow tail 
flounder 
Witch flounder Geographical region 
North-west Atlantic 
North-west Atlantic 
North-west -Atlantic Zone 
NAF0 3LNO (1) 
(1) NAFO 3 LNO v" 
NAFO 3 NO Member State 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Ponugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total 199», quota 
(tonnes) 
61 
140 
0 
(1) There will be no direct fishing on this species, which will be caught only as a by-catch, 
without prejudice to the rules set out in article 4.3 hereof. 
^ 
No L 
Species 
Capelin 
Squid Stock 
Geographical rcgiem 
North-west Atlantic 
North-west Atlantic Zone 
NAFO 3 NO 
NAFO subzones i -» 4 Member State 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Ponugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 1 991» quota 
(tonnes) 
; EC total 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Germany 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Ponugal 
United Kingdom 
Available for Member States 
EC total p.m. 
No L 1 
ANNEX II 
Common name Scientific name 
Principal groundfish (except flatfish) 
Atlantic cod 
Haddock 
Atlantic redfishes 
golden redfish 
Silver hake 
Red hake 
Pollock ( = saithe) 
Flatfish 
American plaice 
Witch flounder 
Yellowtail flounder 
Greenland halibut 
Atlantic halibut 
Winter flounder 
Summer flounder 
Windowpane flounder 
Flatfish (NS) 
Other groundfish 
American angler ( = gooscfish) 
Atlantic searobins 
Atlantic tomcod 
Blue whiting 
Cunner 
Cusk( = tusk) 
Greenland cod 
Blue ling 
Ling 
Lumpfish ('= lumpsucker) 
Northern kingfish 
Northern puffer 
Eelpouts (NS) 
Ocean pout 
Polar cod 
Roundnose grenadier 
Roughhead grenadier 
Sandeels ( = sand lances) 
Sculpins 
Scup. 
Tautog 
Tilefish 
White hake 
Wolffishes (NS) 
Atlantic wolffish 
Spotted wolffish 
Groundfish (NS) Gadus morhua 
Melanogrammus aeglefinus 
Sebastes spp. 
Sebastes marinus 
Sebastes mentella 
Merluccius bilinearis 
Urophucis chuss 
Pollachius virens 
Hippoglossoides platessotdes 
Glyptocephalus cynoglossus 
Limanda ferruginea 
Reinbardtius hippoglossoides 
Hippoglossus hippoglossus 
Pseudopleuronectes americanus 
Paralichthys dentatus 
Scophthalmus aquosus 
Pleuronectiformes 
Lophius americanus 
Prionotus. spp. 
Microgadus tomcod 
Micromesistius poutassou 
Tautogolabrus adspersus 
Brosme brosme 
Gadus ogac 
Molua dypterygia 
Moli/a molva 
Cyclopterus lumpus 
Menticirrhus saxatilis 
Sphoeroides maculatus 
Lycodes spp. 
Macrozoarces americanus 
Boreogadus saida 
Coruphaenoides rupestris 
Macrouris berglax 
Ammodytes spp. 
Myoxocephalus spp. 
Stenotomus chrysopi 
Tautoga onitis 
Lophotatilus chamaeleonttceps 
Urophycis tenuis 
Anarbichas spp. 
Anarhichas lupus 
Anarbichas minor 
No L 
ANNEX III 
Authorized top-side chafers 
1. KaNAF-iype top-side chafer 
A rectangular piece of netting attached to the upper side of a cod<«d ro reduce or prevent damage and 
complying with the following requirements: 
(a) the netting shall not have a mesh size less than that specified for the net itself; 
(b) the netting may be fastened to the cod-cttd only along the forward and lateral edges of the netting and 
shall be fastened in such a manner that « «mends forward of the splitting strap no more than four 
meshes and ends not less than four meshes in front of the codlinc mesh; where a splitting strap is not 
used, the netting shall not extend to more than one-third of the cod-end measured from not less than 
four meshes in front of the codtine mesh; 
(c) the number of meshes in the width of the netting shall be at least one and a half times the number of 
meshes in the width of the pan of the cod-end which is covered, .both widths being taken at right angles 
to the longitudinal axis the cod-end. 
2. 'Multiple flap'top-side chafer 
Pieces of netting having in all their parts raeshes the dimensions of which, whether the pieces of nerang art 
wet or dry, are not less than those of the meshes of the net to which they are attached, provided that: 
(i) each piece of netting: 
(a) is fastened only by us forward edge across I lie cod nul at light angles to its longitudinal axis, 
(h) is at least equal in width to the width of the cod-end (such width being measured at right angles to 
the longitudinal axis of the cod-end at the point of attachment); 
(c) is not more than 10 meshes long; 
(ii) the aggregate length of all the pieces of netting so attached does not exceed two-thirds of the length of 
the cod-end. 
3. 1-arge mesh (modified Polish-type) top-side chafer 
A rectangular piece of netting made of the same twine material as the cod-end, or of a single, thick, knotless 
twine material, attached to the rear portion of the upper side of the cod-end and extending over ail or any 
pan of the upper side of the cod-end, having in all its pans a mesh size twice that of the cod-end when 
measured wet and fastened to the cod-end along the forward, lateral and rear edges only of the netting in 
such a way that each mesh of the netting exactly coincides with four meshes of the cod-end. 
ANNEX IV 
Specie^ 
Atlantic cod 
A met ican plaice 
Yeltowtail flounder MiotflMJiii si/e 
44 cm 
IS mi 
i% cm Definition 
lork length 
total length 
total length 
yfa 
No L 
ANNEX V 
Particulars to be contained in the logbook 
Particulars 
Name of vessel 
Nationality of vessel 
Registration number of vessel 
Port of registration 
Type.of fishing gear used (daily) 
Type of fishing gear 
Date: 
— day 
— month 
— year 
Position: 
— latitude 
— longitude 
— statistical zone 
Number of fishing operations per period of 24 hours 0) 
Number of hours fishing with gear per period of 24 hours (2) 
Name of species 
Daily catches by species (in tonnes live weight) 
Daily catches, per species, for human consumption 
Quantities discarded daily per species 
Place of transhipment 
Date(s) of transhipment 
Master's signature Code 
01 
02 
03 
04 
10 
20) 
20 
21 
22 
31 
32 
33 
40 
41 
2 0) 
50 
61 
63. 
70 
71 
80 
(') To be indicated together with one of the abbreviations listed in the second part of this Annex. 
(z) Where two or more types of fishing gear are used in a given 24-hour period, separate records must be supplied for each type 
of gear. 
Standard abbreviations for the principal species in the NAFO area 
Names of species of fish 
Abbreviation : : : : 1— 
English Latin 
ALE Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus 
ARG Atlantic argentine Argentina silus 
BUT American butterfish Peprilus triacanthus 
CAP Capelin Mallotus villosus 
COD Cod Gadus morhua 
GHL Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides 
HAD Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus 
HER Herring Clupea harengus 
HKR Red hake Urophycis chuss 
HKS Silver hake Merluccius bitineatis 
MAC Mackerel Scomber scombrus 
PLA American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides 
POK Saithe Pollachius virens 
RED Redfish Sebastes marinus 
RMG Roundnose grenadier Macrourus rupestris 
SHR Shrimps and prawns Pandalus spp. 
SQU Squid Loligo pealei — lllex illecebrosus 
WIT Witch flounder Glyptocephalus cynoglossus 
YEL Yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea 
^1 
No L 
Standard abbreviations for fishing gear 
Abbreviations 
OTB 
OTB 1 
OTB 2 
OTM 
OTM 1 
OTM 2 
PTB 
PTM 
G M 
GNS 
LI. 
LES 
LLD 
MIS 
NK Fishing gear 
Bottom otter trawl (side or stern, not specified) 
Bottom otter trawl (side) 
Bottom otter trawl (stern) 
Midwatcr otter trawl (side or stern, not specified) 
Midwater otter trawl (side) 
Midwatcr otter trawl (stern) 
Bottom pair trawl (2 vessels) 
Midwater pair trawl (2 vessels) 
Gillncts (not specified) 
Set gillncts 
l.onglincs (set or drifting, not speciefied) 
Longlines (set) 
Longlincs (drifting) 
Miscellaneous fishing gear 
Fishing gear not known 
yt ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(93) 467 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 11 03 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-93-665-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-62310-1 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg