Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EC) No 65/98 of 19 December 1997 fixing, for certain stocks of highly migratory fish, the total allowable catches for 1998, their distribution in quotas to Member States and certain conditions under which they may be fished
Date: 1998-03-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, authorised catch, catch quota, conservation of resources, fishery management

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 27.03.1998 
COM(1998) 194 final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 

amending Council Regulation (EC) No 65/98 of 

19 December 1997 fixing, for certain stocks of highly migratory  fish, 
the total allowable catches for 1998, their distribution in quotas to Member States 
and certain conditions under which they may be  fished. 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

On  19 December  1997 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 65/98 laying down catch 
limitations  for  certain  stocks  of  highly  migratory  fish:  bluefin  tuna  and  swordfish,  in 
accordance  with  recommendations  adopted  by  the  International  Commission  for  the 
Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), to which the Community  is a Contracting Party 
since November 1997. 

The  different  stocks  of  bluefin  tuna  and  Atlantic  swordfish  are  considered  to  be 
overexploited;  therefore  the  effectiye  implementation  of  the  ICCAT  recommendations 
concerning  catch  limitations  for  these  species  is  essential  to  ensure  their  sustainable 
exploitation. 

As concerns swordfish,  Regulation  65/98 only considers the TAC for the North Atlantic, 
since  the  TAC  for  the  South  Atlantic  was  adopted  by  ICCAT  on  21  November  1997, 
therefore too late for the December  1997 Council. The TAC for  South Atlantic  swordfish 
is applicable as of  1998 and must therefore  be implemented  as soon as possible  in order 
to  ensure  that  Community  fishermen  have  a  timely  and  complete  view  of  the  catch 
limitation applicable in  1998. This question requires the amendment of Regulation 65/98 
as soon as possible. 

This  proposal  incorporates  the  TAC  for  South  Atlantic  swordfish  to  bring  Council 
Regulation 65/98 in line with the latest ICCAT recommendations on catch limitations  for 
highly migratory  fish. 

The Commission proposes that the Council adopt this regulation. 

oi 

Proposal of Council Regulation (EC) No... amending Council Regulation (EC) No 
65/98 of 19 December 1997 fixing, for certain stocks of highly migratory fish, 
the total allowable catches for 1998, their distribution in quotas to Member States 
and certain conditions under which they may be fished. 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas  the  Council  adopted,  on  19  December  1997,  Council  Regulation (EC) 

No 65/98(2)  laying  down  catch  limitations  for  blucfin  tuna  and  for  North  Atlantic 
swordfish;  to implement  recommendations  adopted  by the  International  Commission  for 
the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICC AT); 

Whereas ICCAT, at its last annual  meeting  held  in Madrid  from  14-21 November  1997, 
adopted  a recommendation  concerning  catch  limitations  applicable  to  swordfish  in  the 
Southern  Atlantic.  Whereas  in  order  to  ensure  the  rational  exploitation  of  the  Southern 
Atlantic swordfish  stock it is necessary to implement this recommendation; 

Whereas  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  amend  Council  Regulation (EC)  No 65/98 
accordingly, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Article  1 

The  table  in  the  annex  to  this  Regulation  shall  be  inserted  in  the  Annex  to  Council 
Regulation (EC) No 65/98. 

1 O.J. L 389, 31.12.1992, p. I. Regulation  as amended by Hie 1994 Act of Accession. 
2 O.J. L 12, 19.01.98, p. 145. 

2 

Article 2 

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

It shall apply with effect from 1  January  1998. 

This  Regulation  shall  be  binding  in  its  entirety  and  directly  applicable  in  all  member 
States. 

Done at 

For the Council 

The President 

Q 

ANNEX 

Species: 

Swordfish 
Xiphias gladius 

Zone: Atlantic ocean, south of latitude 5* N 

Belgie / Belgique 
Danmark 
Deutschland 
Ellada 
Espafla 
France 
Ireland 
Italia 
Luxembourg 
Nederland 
Osterreich 
Portugal 
Suom'i/Finland 
Sverige 
United Kingdom 

EC 

TAC 

5.848 

385 

6.233 

14.620 

sr 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(98) 194 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

03  11  07  10 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-CO-98-204-HN-C 

ISBN  92-78-32621-6 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European  Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg