Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/145 of 14 January 2026 establishing a fisheries closure for blue ling in area 6 and 7; United Kingdom and international waters of 5 for vessels flying the flag of Spain
Date: 2026-01-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean, EU waters, Spain, catch by species, catch quota, fishing area, fishing rights, international waters, sea fish, sea fishing, ship's flag




L_202600145EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2026/145


21.1.2026







            COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2026/145
of 14 January 2026
         
establishing a fisheries closure for blue ling in area 6 and 7; United Kingdom and international waters of 5 for vessels flying the flag of Spain


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Union control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006 (1), and in particular Article 36(2) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202 (2) lays down fishing opportunities for 2025.












(2)


According to the information received by the Commission, catches of the stock of blue ling in area 6 and 7; United Kingdom and international waters of 5 by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Spain have exhausted the quota allocated for 2025.












(3)


It is therefore necessary to prohibit certain fishing activities for that stock.





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1

Quota exhaustion

The fishing quota allocated to Spain for the stock of blue ling in area 6 and 7; United Kingdom and international waters of 5 for 2025 referred to in the Annex shall be deemed to be exhausted from the date set out in that Annex.


Article 2

Prohibitions


1.   Fishing for the stock referred to in Article 1 by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Spain shall be prohibited from the date set out in the Annex. In particular it shall be prohibited to search for fish, shoot, set or haul a fishing gear for the purpose of fishing that stock.


2.   Transshipping, retaining on board, processing on board, transferring, caging, fattening and landing of fish and fishery products from that stock caught by those vessels shall remain authorised for catches taken prior to that date.


3.   Unintended catches of species from that stock by those vessels shall be brought and retained on board the fishing vessels, recorded, landed and counted against quotas in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3).



Article 3

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 14 January 2026.


For the Commission,


On behalf of the President,

Costas KADIS
            

Member of the Commission






(1)  
            OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1224/oj.

(2)  Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202 of 30 January 2025 fixing for 2025 and 2026 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters, and amending Regulation (EU) 2024/257 as regards fishing opportunities for 2025 (OJ L, 2025/202, 31.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/202/oj).

(3)  Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1380/oj).




ANNEX






No


18/TQ202




Member State


Spain




Stock


BLI/5B67-




Species


Blue ling (Molva dypterygia)




Zone


6 and 7; United Kingdom and international waters of 5




Closing Date


8.12.2025







ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2026/145/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)