Commission Regulation (EC) No 1147/2005 of 15 July 2005 prohibiting fishing for sandeel with certain fishing gears in the North Sea and the Skagerrak

16.7.2005 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 185/19
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1147/2005
of 15 July 2005
prohibiting fishing for sandeel with certain fishing gears in the North Sea and the Skagerrak
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 27/2005 of 22 December 2004 fixing for 2005 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required (1), and in particular Article 12(6) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The Community’s fishing effort for vessels fishing for sandeel in the North Sea and Skagerrak is laid down provisionally in Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 27/2005.
(2) Pursuant to point 6(c) of this Annex the Commission shall revise the fishing effort for 2005 based on advice from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) on the size of the 2004 year class of North Sea sandeel. Where STECF estimates the size of the 2004 year class of North Sea sandeel to be below 300 000 million individuals at age 0, fishing with demersal trawl, seine or similar towed gears with a mesh size of less than 16 mm shall be prohibited for the remaining of 2005.
(3) STECF has estimated the strength of the 2004 year-class to 150 000 million individuals at age 0.
(4) As the STECF estimate of the 2004 year-class of North Sea sandeel is below the threshold of 300 000 million individuals at age 0, the fishery has to be prohibited for the remainder of 2005,