Council Regulation (EC) No 1456/2001 of 16 July 2001 amending Regulation (EC) No 2549/2000 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stock of cod in the Irish Sea (ICES Division VIIa)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1456/2001
of 16 July 2001
amending Regulation (EC) No 2549/2000 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stock of cod in the Irish Sea (ICES Division VIIa)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(3),
Whereas:
(1) The conditions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2549/2000(4) are intended to ensure that the selectivity of fishing gears deployed in the Irish sea are such that few young cod are captured.
(2) Article 2(1) and (2) stipulate that it is prohibited to use any demersal towed net other than beam trawls incorporating a cod/end and/or extension piece made entirely or partly of multiple twine netting materials and any demersal towed net other than beam trawls incorporating a cod-end and/or extension piece of which the thickness of the twine exceeds 6 mm.
(3) However, recent scientific advice concurs with the opinion of fishermen that a cod-end and/or extension piece constructed of double twine of thickness no more than 4 mm is technically equivalent to a cod-end and/or extension piece as currently defined.
(4) There is a requirement on the part of some fishermen to deploy double-twine cod-ends.
(5) Article 3 of the current regulation refers to conditions which were relevant only during 2000 and it should therefore be replaced with provisions which set out the required amendment.
(6) Regulation (EC) No 2549/2000 should accordingly be amended,