EN
L 303/12
Official Journal of the European Union
23.11.2022
COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2022/2290 of 19 August 2022 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2015 as regards certain exemptions to the landing obligation in the Western Waters for 2023
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/472 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 establishing a multiannual plan for stocks fished in the Western Waters and adjacent waters, and for fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Regulations (EU) 2016/1139 and (EU) 2018/973, and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007 and (EC) No 1300/2008 (1), and in particular Article 13 thereof, Whereas: (1)
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2015 (2) provides details on how to implement the landing obligation for certain demersal fisheries in the Western Waters for the period 2021–2023.
(2)
Under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2015, certain exemptions to the landing obligation are provisionally applicable until 31 December 2022.
In these cases, Member States having a direct management interest were to submit, as soon as possible and not later than 1 May 2022, additional scientific information supporting the exemption.
The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (‘STECF’) was to assess the submitted evidence by 31 July 2022.
(3)
The North Western Waters Member States (Belgium, Ireland, Spain, France and the Netherlands – ‘NWW MS’) submitted a joint recommendation to the Commission on 3 May 2022.
A revised version of the joint recommendation was submitted on 25 July 2022.
(4)
The joint recommendation requested a new high survivability exemption for sole below minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) caught in ICES division 7e by vessels under 12 m long and using otter bottom trawls (‘OTB’), within six nautical miles of the coast but outside identified nursery areas, with a cod end mesh size larger than 80 mm.
(5)
The STECF noted the significant amount of information and clarifications received to support this exemption and acknowledged the low level of discard volumes in the fishery.
(6)
For the reasons given by the STECF, with which the Commission agrees, the exemption should therefore be granted until 31 December 2023.
(7)
The joint recommendation also requested a new de minimis exemption for common sole (Solea solea) up to a maximum of 3 % of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using beam trawls TBB gear with a mesh size of 80 to 119 mm equipped with Flemish panel, to catch common sole in ICES divisions 7j and 7k.
(8)
The STECF noted the improvements achieved by implementing more selective gears and the decrease in unwanted undersized fish catches.
The current volume of discards is minimal.
The STECF further noted that there are plans in progress to improve the knowledge on the stock through genetic studies that may result in a better understanding of stock limits and stock size.
The STECF considered this helps to define the impact of the fisheries and therefore focus the impact of management measures such as the requested exemptions on the landing obligation.
(1) OJ L 83, 25.3.2019, p. 1.
(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2015 of 21 August 2020 specifying details of the implementation of the landing obligation for certain fisheries in Western Waters for the period 2021-2023 (OJ L 415, 10.12.2020, p. 22).