Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) laying down for 1996 certain conservation and management measures for fishery resources in the Convention Area as defined in the Convention on Future Multilateral Co-operation in the North-East Atlantic
Date: 1996-04-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean, authorised catch, conservation of fish stocks, fishery management, fishing area

COMMISSION  OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

•*  a  A 

Brussels,  17.04.1996 
COM(96)  162  final 

Proposal  for a 

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laying  down  for  1996 certain  conservation  and  management  measures  for fishery 
resources  in the  Convention  Area  as defined  in the  Convention on Future  Multilateral 
Co-operation  in the  North-East  Atlantic 

(presented  by the  Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

During  many  years,  the question  of  the regulation  of oceanic-type  redfish  formed  the  subject 
matter  of  protracted  discussions  within  the  North-East  Atlantic  Fisheries  Commission 
(NEAFC).  At  an  Extraordinary  Meeting  from  19 to 21  March  1996,  NEAFC  was  now  able 
to adopt  a recommendation of  conservation  and  management  measures  for  thai  fish  stock  for 
1996.  That  recommendation  was  adopted  by  a qualified  majority  of  the  Contracting  Parties 
of  NEAFC,  including  the  Community. 

The recommended  measures consist in a total allowable catch (TAC) of  153,000 tonnes  which 
covers  oceanic-type  redfish  in its entire  area of distribution  and  which  is allocated  among  the 
Contracting  Parties  concerned.  Within  this  TAC,  a  share  of  23,000  tonnes  has  become 
available  to  the  Community.  Furthermore,  Denmark  (on  behalf  of  the  Faroe  Islands  and 
Greenland) committed  itself  to transfer  to the Community  a further  4,000 tonnes. This  results 
in  a  total  27,000  tonnes  of  oceanic-type  redfish  available  to  the  Community  in  1996. 

As  this  recommendation  has  been  adopted  with  the  full  support  of  the  Community,  the 
Commission  now  proposes  its  full  implementing  at  Community  level. 

In order  to enhance  the  impact  of  the  measures  recommended  by  NEAFC  and  to ensure  that 
Community  fishing  vessels  can  carry  out  their  operations  in  economically  appropriate 
conditions,  it  is  also  proposed  to  share  out  the  Community  share  of  oceanic-type  redfish 
between  the  Member  States  concerned  in  application  of  the  traditional  "relative  stability" 
criteria  with  an  appropriate  reference  period  of  five  years  which  reflects  duly  the  twofold 
reality  of  the  past  catch  records  and  the  current  fishing  patterns. 

£ 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EC)  No 

/96 

of 

1996 

laying  down for  1996 certain conservation  and  management  measures  for  fishery 
resources  in the Convention  Area  as defined  in the Convention  on Future  Multilateral 
Co-operation  in the  North-East  Atlantic 

THE COUNCIL  OF THE  EUROPEAN  UNION, 

Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European  Community, 

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3760/92 of 20 December  1992 estbalishing 
a Community system for fisheries  and aquaculture  (,), and in particular Article 8 (4) thereof, 

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 principles and rules relating to the conservation and management of the living 
resources  within the exclusive economic zones of the coastal  States and  on the high  seas; 

Whereas  the Convention  on Multilateral  Co-operation  in the North-East  Atlantic,  hereafter 
referred  to  as  the  "NEAFC  Convention",  was  approved  by  the  Council  in  Decision 
81/608/EEC of  13 July  1981 (2) and entered  into force  on  17 March  1982; 

Whereas  the  NEAFC  Convention  establishes  a  suitable  framework  for  multilateral  co 
operation in the rational conservation and the optimum utilization of the fishery  resources of 
the  Convention Area  as defined  therein; 

Whereas  the  North-East  Atlantic  Fisheries  Commission  adopted  on  21  March  1996  a 
recommendation limiting the catches of redfish  in the Convention Area for  1996; whereas it 
is appropriate  that this recommendation  be  implemented  by the  Community; 

Whereas,  in  accordance  with  Article  8  of  Regulation  (EEC)  No.  3760/92,  it  falls  to  the 
Council to establish for each fishery or group of fisheries the total allowable catch (TAC) and 
the share available  to the Community  and to allocate  the share  available to the  Community 
among  the Member  States; 

(1) 

<2> 

O.J.  No.  L 389,  31.12.1992,  p. 1 

O.J.  No.  L 227,  12.8.1981, p. 21 

Whereas the fishing  activities covered by this Regulation are subject to the control  measures 
provided  for  in  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No.  2847/93  establishing  a  control  system 
applicable  to the common  fisheries  policy  (3); 

HAS ADOPTED  THIS  REGULATION: 

Article 1 

Catches  in  1996 of redfish  by Community  fishing  vessels  shall be  limited  to the quotas  set 
out  in the  Annex. 

All catches by Community  fishing  vessels of redfish  prior to the adoption of this Regulation 
shall be counted  against the quotas  set out  in the Annex. 

Article 2 

This  regulation  shall  enter  into  force  on  the  day  following  its  publication  in  the  Official 
Journal  of  the  European  Communities. 

This Regulation  shall be binding in its entirely  and directly  applicable  in all  Member 
States. 

Done  at Brussels, 

1996 

For  the  Council 
The  President 

(3) 

O.J.  No.  L261,  20.10.1993, p. 1 

U 

ANNEX 

Stock 

Member State 

1996 quota 

Species 

Geographical area 

Redfish 
(Sebastes mentella, 
oceanic-type)  (l) 

ICES XIV/XII/V  (2) 

Austria 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Greece 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
the  Netherlands 
Portugal 
Spain 
Sweden 
the  United Kingdom 

EC total 

21,422 

853 

5 
2,846 
1,874 

27,000  (3) 

(,) 

(2) 

(3) 

Fished with pelagic trawls, excluding discards but including the fish above as well as below the acoustic 
layer 
Community  fishing  waters and areas beyond  fisheries jurisdiction of the other coastal  States 
Includes a transfer  of 4,000 tonnes from  Denmark  (on behalf  of the Faroe  Islands and  Greenland) 

<T 

ISSN  0254-1475 

COM(96)  162 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

11  03 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-96-175-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-02680-8 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg 

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