Article 1 Subject matter
1. This Regulation fixes the fishing opportunities available in Union waters and, to Union vessels, in certain non-Union waters for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks. 2. The fishing opportunities referred to in paragraph 1 include: (a) catch limits for the year 2014 and, where specified in this Regulation, for the year 2015; (b) fishing effort limits for the period from 1 February 2014 to 31 January 2015; (c) fishing opportunities for the period from 1 December 2013 to 30 November 2014 for certain stocks in the CCAMLR Convention Area; (d) fishing opportunities for the periods set out in Article 32 for certain stocks in the IATTC Convention Area for the year 2014 and, where specified in this Regulation, for the year 2015. 3. This Regulation also fixes provisional fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks subject to the bilateral fisheries arrangements with Norway and the Faroe Islands, pending the consultations on those arrangements for 2014.
Article 2 Scope
This Regulation shall apply to the following vessels: (a) Union vessels; (b) third-country vessels in Union waters.
Article 3 Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply: (a) 'Union vessel' means a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union; (b) 'third-country vessel' means a fishing vessel flying the flag of, and registered in, a third country; (c) 'Union waters' means waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Member States with the exception of waters adjacent to the overseas countries and territories listed in Annex II to the Treaty; (d) 'international waters' means waters falling outside the sovereignty or jurisdiction of any State; (e) 'total allowable catch' (TAC) means the quantity that can be taken and landed from each fish stock each year; (f) 'quota' means a proportion of the TAC allocated to the Union or a Member State; (g) 'analytical assessments' means a quantitative evaluation of trends in a given stock, based on data about the stock's biology and exploitation, which scientific review has indicated to be of sufficient quality to provide scientific advice on options for future catches. (h) 'mesh size' means the mesh size of fishing nets as determined in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 517/2008 ( 20 ) ; (i) 'Union fishing fleet register' means the register set up by the Commission in accordance with Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; (j) 'fishing logbook' means the logbook referred to in Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009;
Article 4 Fishing zones
For the purposes of this Regulation the following zone definitions shall apply: (a) ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) zones are the geographical areas specified in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 218/2009 ( 21 ) ; (b) 'Skagerrak' means the geographical area bounded on the west by a line drawn from the Hanstholm lighthouse to the Lindesnes lighthouse and on the south by a line drawn from the Skagen lighthouse to the Tistlarna lighthouse and from this point to the nearest point on the Swedish coast; (c) 'Kattegat' means the geographical area bounded on the north by a line drawn from the Skagen lighthouse to the Tistlarna lighthouse and from this point to the nearest point on the Swedish coast and on the south by a line drawn from Hasenøre to Gnibens Spids, from Korshage to Spodsbjerg and from Gilbjerg Hoved to Kullen; (d) 'Functional Unit 16 of ICES subarea VII' means the geographical area bounded by rhumb lines sequentially joining the following positions: — 53° 30′ N 15° 00′ W, — 53° 30′ N 11° 00′ W, — 51° 30′ N 11° 00′ W, — 51° 30′ N 13° 00′ W, — 51° 00′ N 13° 00′ W, — 51° 00′ N 15° 00′ W, — 53° 30′ N 15° 00′ W; (e) 'Gulf of Cádiz' means the geographical area of ICES division IXa east of longitude 7° 23′ 48″ W; (f) CECAF (Committee for Eastern Central Atlantic Fisheries) areas are the geographical areas specified in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 216/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 22 ) ; (g) NAFO (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation) areas are the geographical areas specified in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 217/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 23 ) ; (h) 'SEAFO (South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation) Convention Area' is the geographical area defined in the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Fishery Resources in the South-East Atlantic Ocean ( 24 ) ; (i) 'ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) Convention Area' is the geographical area defined in the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ( 25 ) ; (j) 'CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) Convention Area' is the geographical area defined in point (a) of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004 ( 26 ) ; (k) 'IATTC (Inter–American Tropical Tuna Commission) Convention Area' is the geographical area defined in the Convention for the Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established by the 1949 Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica ("the Antigua Convention") ( 27 ) ; (l) 'IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission) Convention Area' is the geographical area defined in the Agreement for the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission ( 28 ) ; (m) 'SPRFMO (South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation) Convention Area' is the high seas geographical area south of 10° N, north of the CCAMLR Convention Area, east of the SIOFA Convention Area as defined in the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement ( 29 ) , and west of the areas of fisheries jurisdictions of South American States; (n) 'the WCPFC (Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission) Convention Area' is the geographical area defined in the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean ( 30 ) ; (o) 'high seas of the Bering Sea' is the geographical area of the high seas of the Bering Sea beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of the coastal States of the Bering Sea is measured. (p) 'overlap area between IATTC and WCPFC' is the geographical area defined by the following limits: — longitude 150° W, — longitude 130° W, — latitude 4° S, — latitude 50° S.
Article 5 TACs and allocations
1. The TACs for Union vessels in Union waters or certain non-Union waters and the allocation of such TACs among Member States, and the conditions functionally linked thereto, where appropriate, are set out in Annex I. 2. Union vessels are authorised to make catches, within the TACs set out in Annex I, in waters falling within the fisheries jurisdiction of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway, and the fishing zone around Jan Mayen, subject to the condition set out in Article 14 of and Annex III to this Regulation and in Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008 ( 31 ) and its implementing provisions. 3. For the purposes of the special condition laid down in Annex IA for the stock of sandeel in Union waters of ICES zones IIa, IIIa and IV, the management areas defined in Annex IID shall apply.
Article 6 TACs to be determined by Member States
1. The TACs for certain fish stocks shall be determined by the Member State concerned. Those stocks are identified in Annex I. 2. The TACs to be determined by a Member State shall: (a) be consistent with the principles and rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular the principle of sustainable exploitation of the stock; and (b) result: (i) if analytical assessments are available, in the exploitation of the stock consistent with maximum sustainable yield from 2015 onwards, with as high a probability as possible; (ii) if analytical assessments are unavailable or incomplete, in the exploitation of the stock consistent with the precautionary approach to fisheries management. 3. By 15 March 2014, each Member State concerned shall submit to the Commission the following information: (a) the TACs adopted; (b) the data collected and assessed by the Member State concerned on which the TACs adopted are based; (c) details on how the TACs adopted comply with paragraph 2.
Article 7 Conditions for landing catches and by-catches
Fish from stocks for which TACs are established shall be retained on board or landed only if: (a) the catches have been taken by vessels flying the flag of a Member State having a quota and that quota is not exhausted; or (b) the catches consist of a share in a Union quota which has not been allocated by quota among Member States, and that Union quota has not been exhausted.
Article 8 Fishing effort limits
From 1 February 2014 to 31 January 2015, the following fishing effort measures shall apply: (a) Annex IIA for the management of certain cod, sole, and plaice stocks in the Kattegat, the Skagerrak, that part of ICES division IIIa not covered by the Skagerrak and the Kattegat, ICES subarea IV and ICES divisions VIa, VIIa and VIId and Union waters of ICES divisions IIa and Vb; (b) Annex IIB for the recovery of hake and Norway lobster in ICES divisions VIIIc and IXa, with the exception of the Gulf of Cádiz; (c) Annex IIC for the management of the sole stock in ICES division VIIe.
Article 9 Catch and effort limits for deep-sea fisheries
1. Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2347/2002 ( 32 ) establishing the requirement of holding a deep-sea fishing permit shall apply to Greenland halibut. The catching, retaining on board, transhipping and landing of Greenland halibut shall be subject to the conditions referred to in that Article. 2. Member States shall ensure that for 2014 the fishing effort levels, measured in kilowatt days absent from port, by vessels holding deep-sea fishing permits referred to in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2347/2002, do not exceed 65 % of the average annual fishing effort deployed by the vessels of the Member State concerned in 2003 on trips when deep-sea fishing permits were held or deep-sea species, as listed in Annexes I and II to that Regulation, were caught. This paragraph shall apply only to fishing trips on which more than 100 kg of deep-sea species, other than greater silver smelt, were caught.
Article 10 Special provisions on allocations of fishing opportunities
1. The allocation of fishing opportunities among Member States as set out in this Regulation shall be without prejudice to: (a) exchanges made pursuant to Article 16(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; (b) deductions and reallocations made pursuant to Article 37 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; (c) reallocations made pursuant to Article 10(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008; (d) additional landings allowed under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96; (e) quantities withheld in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96; (f) deductions made pursuant to Articles 105, 106 and 107 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; (g) quota transfers and exchanges pursuant to Article 20 of this Regulation. 2. Except where otherwise specified in Annex I to this Regulation, Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 shall apply to stocks subject to precautionary TAC and Article 3(2) and (3) and Article 4 of that Regulation shall apply to stocks subject to analytical TAC.
Article 11 Closed fishing seasons
1. It shall be prohibited to fish or retain on board any of the following species in the Porcupine Bank during the period from 1 May to 31 May 2014: cod, megrims, anglerfish, haddock, whiting, hake, Norway lobster, plaice, pollack, saithe, skates and rays, common sole, tusk, blue ling, ling and spurdog. For the purposes of this paragraph, the Porcupine Bank shall comprise the geographical area bounded by rhumb lines sequentially joining the following positions: Point Latitude Longitude 1 52° 27′ N 12° 19′ W 2 52° 40′ N 12° 30′ W 3 52° 47′ N 12° 39,600′ W 4 52° 47′ N 12° 56′ W 5 52° 13,5′ N 13° 53,830′ W 6 51° 22′ N 14° 24′ W 7 51° 22′ N 14° 03′ W 8 52° 10′ N 13° 25′ W 9 52° 32′ N 13° 07,500′ W 10 52° 43′ N 12° 55′ W 11 52° 43′ N 12° 43′ W 12 52° 38,800′ N 12° 37′ W 13 52° 27′ N 12° 23′ W 14 52° 27′ N 12° 19′ W By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, transit through the Porcupine Bank while carrying on board the species referred to in that paragraph, shall be permitted in accordance with Article 50(3), (4) and (5) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009. 2. Commercial fishing for sandeel with demersal trawl, seine or similar towed gears with a mesh size of less than 16 mm shall be prohibited in ICES divisions IIa, IIIa and ICES subarea IV from 1 January to 31 March 2014 and from 1 August to 31 December 2014. The prohibition set out in the first subparagraph shall also apply to third-country vessels authorised to fish for sandeel in Union waters of ICES subarea IV unless otherwise specified.
Article 12 Prohibitions
1. It shall be prohibited for Union vessels to fish for, to retain on board, to tranship or to land the following species: (a) basking shark ( Cetorhinus maximus ) and white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ) in all waters; (b) porbeagle ( Lamna nasus ) in all waters, except where it is otherwise provided in Annex IA; (c) angel shark ( Squatina squatina ) in Union waters; (d) common skate ( Dipturus batis ) complex ( Dipturus cf. flossada and Dipturus cf. intermedia ) in Union waters of ICES division IIa and ICES subareas III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X; (e) undulate ray ( Raja undulata ) in Union waters of ICES subareas VI, IX and X and white skate ( Raja alba ) in Union waters of ICES subareas VI, VII, VIII, IX and X; (f) guitarfishes ( Rhinobatidae ) in Union waters of ICES subareas I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X and XII; (g) giant manta ray ( Manta birostris ) in all waters. 2. When accidentally caught, species referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be harmed. Specimens shall be promptly released.
Article 13 Data transmission
When, pursuant to Articles 33 and 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, Member States submit to the Commission data relating to landings of quantities of stocks caught, they shall use the stock codes set out in Annex I to this Regulation.
Article 14 Additional allocations
1. For certain stocks, a Member State may grant an additional allocation to vessels flying its flag and participating in trials on fully documented fisheries. Those stocks are identified in Annex I. 2. The additional allocation referred to in paragraph 1 shall not exceed the overall limit set out in Annex I as a percentage of the quota allocated to that Member State.
Article 15 Conditions for additional allocations
1. The additional allocation referred to in Article 14 shall comply with the following conditions: (a) the vessel makes use of close circuit television cameras (CCTV) associated to a system of sensors (jointly referred to as "the CCTV system") to record all on board fishing and processing activities; (b) the additional allocation granted to an individual vessel that participates in trials on fully documented fisheries shall not exceed any of the following limits: (i) 75 % of the discards of the stock, as estimated by the relevant Member State, produced by the type of vessel to which the individual vessel that has been granted the additional allocation belongs. (ii) 30 % of the vessel's individual allocation prior to participating in the trials. (c) all catches by the vessel from the stock subject to the additional allocation, including fish that are under minimum landing size as defined in Annex XII of Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 ( 33 ) , shall be counted against the individual allocation of the vessel, as resulting from any additional allocation granted under Article 14. (d) once the individual allocation for any stock subject to the additional allocation has been fully utilised by a vessel, the vessel in question must cease all fishing activity in the relevant TAC area. (e) in respect of the stocks for which this Article may be used, the Member States may allow transfers of the individual allocation or any part thereof from vessels not participating in trials on fully documented fisheries to vessels participating in those trials provided that it can be demonstrated that discards by the non-participating vessels do not increase. 2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1(b)(i), a Member State may exceptionally grant to a vessel flying its flag an additional allocation exceeding 75 % of the estimated discards of the stock produced by the type of vessel to which the individual vessel that has been granted the additional allocation belongs, provided that: (a) the rate of stock discards, as estimated for the relevant type of vessel, is less than 10 %; (b) the inclusion of that type of vessel is important to evaluate the potential of the CCTV system for control purposes; (c) an overall limit of 75 % of the estimated stock discards produced by all vessels participating in the trials is not exceeded. 3. Prior to granting the additional allocation referred to in Article 14, a Member State shall submit the following information to the Commission: (a) the list of vessels flying its flag and participating in trials on fully documented fisheries; (b) the specifications of the remote electronic monitoring equipment installed on board those vessels; (c) the capacity, type and specification of gears used by those vessels; (d) the estimated discards for each type of vessel participating in the trials; (e) the amount of catches of the stock subject to the relevant TAC made in 2013 by the vessels participating in the trials.
Article 16 Processing of personal data
To the extent that the recordings obtained in accordance with Article 15(1)(a) involve the processing of personal data within the meaning of Directive 95/46/EC, that Directive shall apply to the processing of such data.
Article 17 Withdrawal of additional allocations
Where a Member State detects that a vessel participating in trials on fully documented fisheries fails to comply with the conditions set out in Article 15, it shall immediately withdraw the additional allocation granted to that vessel and exclude it from participation in those trials for the remainder of the year 2014.
Article 18 Scientific review of discard assessments
The Commission may request any Member State that avails itself of this Chapter to submit its assessment of the discards produced per type of vessel to a scientific advisory body for review, in order to monitor the implementation of the requirement set out in Article 15(1)(b)(i). In the absence of an assessment confirming such discards, the Member State concerned shall take any appropriate measure to ensure compliance with that requirement and shall inform the Commission thereof.
Article 19 Fishing authorisations
1. The maximum number of fishing authorisations for Union vessels fishing in waters of a third country is set out in Annex III. 2. Where one Member State transfers quota to another Member State ("swap") in the fishing areas set out in Annex III on the basis of Article 16(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the transfer shall include an appropriate transfer of fishing authorisations and shall be notified to the Commission. However, the total number of fishing authorisations for each fishing area, as set out in Annex III, shall not be exceeded.
Article 20 Quota transfers and exchanges
1. Where, under the rules of a regional fisheries management organisation ("RFMO"), quota transfers or exchanges between the Contracting Parties to the RFMO are permitted, a Member State ("the Member State concerned") may discuss with a Contracting Party to the RFMO and, as appropriate, establish a possible outline of an intended quota transfer or exchange. 2. Upon notification to the Commission by the Member State concerned, the Commission may endorse the outline of the intended quota transfer or exchange that the Member State has discussed with the relevant Contracting Party to the RFMO. Thereupon, the Commission shall exchange, without undue delay, the consent to be bound by such quota transfer or exchange with the relevant Contracting Party to the RFMO. The Commission shall then give notification of the agreed quota transfer or exchange to the secretariat of the RFMO in accordance with the rules of that organisation. 3. The Commission shall inform the Member States of the agreed quota transfer or exchange. 4. The fishing opportunities received from or transferred to the relevant Contracting Party to the RFMO under the quota transfer or exchange shall be deemed to be quotas allocated to, or deducted from, the allocation of the Member State concerned, as of the moment that the quota transfer or exchange takes effect in accordance with the terms of the agreement reached with the relevant Contracting Party to the RFMO or in accordance with the rules of the relevant RFMO, as appropriate. Such allocation shall not change the existing distribution key for the purpose of allocating fishing opportunities among Member States in accordance with the principle of relative stability of fishing activities.
Article 21 Fishing, farming and fattening capacity limitations for bluefin tuna
1. The number of Union bait boats and trolling boats authorised to fish actively for bluefin tuna between 8 kg/75 cm and 30 kg/115 cm in the Eastern Atlantic shall be limited as set out in point 1 of Annex IV. 2. The number of Union coastal artisanal fishing vessels authorised to fish actively for bluefin tuna between 8 kg/75 cm and 30 kg/115 cm in the Mediterranean shall be limited as set out in point 2 of Annex IV. 3. The number of Union vessels fishing for bluefin tuna in the Adriatic Sea for farming purposes authorised to fish actively for bluefin tuna between 8 kg/75 cm and 30 kg/115 cm shall be limited as set out in point 3 of Annex IV. 4. The number and total capacity in gross tonnage of fishing vessels authorised to fish for, retain on board, tranship, transport, or land bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean shall be limited as set out in point 4 of Annex IV. 5. The number of traps engaged in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery shall be limited as set out in point 5 of Annex IV. 6. The bluefin tuna farming capacity, the fattening capacity and the maximum input of wild caught bluefin tuna allocated to the farms in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean shall be limited as set out in point 6 of Annex IV.
Article 22 Recreational and sport fisheries
Member States shall allocate a specific quota of bluefin tuna for recreational and sport fisheries from their quotas allocated in Annex ID.
Article 23 Sharks
1. Retaining on board, transhipping or landing any part or whole carcass of bigeye thresher sharks ( Alopias superciliosus ) in any fishery shall be prohibited. 2. It shall be prohibited to undertake a directed fishery for species of thresher sharks of the Alopias genus. 3. Retaining on board, transhipping or landing any part or whole carcass of hammerhead sharks of the Sphyrnidae family (except for the Sphyrna tiburo ) in association with fisheries in the ICCAT Convention Area shall be prohibited. 4. Retaining on board, transhipping or landing any part or whole carcass of oceanic whitetip sharks ( Carcharhinus longimanus ) taken in any fishery shall be prohibited. 5. Retaining on board silky sharks ( Carcharhinus falciformis ) taken in any fishery shall be prohibited.
Article 24 Prohibitions and catch limitations
1. Direct fishing of the species set out in Part A of Annex V, shall be prohibited in the zones and during the periods set out therein. 2. For exploratory fisheries, the TACs and by-catch limits set out in Part B of Annex V, shall apply in the subareas set out therein.
Article 25 Exploratory fisheries
1. Only those Member States which are members of the CCAMLR Commission may participate in longline exploratory fisheries for Dissostichus spp. in FAO subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as in divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2 and 58.4.3a outside areas of national jurisdiction in 2014. If such a Member State intends to participate in such fisheries, it shall notify the CCAMLR Secretariat in accordance with Articles 7 and 7a of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004 and in any case no later than 1 June 2014. 2. With regard to FAO subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as divisions 58.4.1,58.4.2 and 58.4.3a TACs and by-catch limits per subarea and division, and their distribution among Small Scale Research Units (SSRUs) within each of them, shall be as set out in Part B of Annex V. Fishing in any SSRU shall cease when the reported catch reaches the specified TAC, and the SSRU shall be closed to fishing for the remainder of the season. 3. Fishing shall take place over as large a geographical and bathymetric range as possible to obtain the information necessary to determine fishery potential and to avoid over-concentration of catch and fishing effort. However, fishing in FAO subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as in divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2 and 58.4.3a shall be prohibited in depths less than 550 m.
Article 26 Krill fishery during the 2014/2015 fishing season
1. Only those Member States which are members of the CCAMLR Commission may fish for krill ( Euphausia superba ) in the CCAMLR Convention Area during the 2014/2015 fishing season. If such a Member State intends to fish for krill in the CCAMLR Convention Area, it shall notify, no later than 1 June 2014, the CCAMLR Secretariat, in accordance with Article 5a of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004, and the Commission, using the format laid down in Part C of Annex V of this Regulation of its intention to fish for krill. 2. The notification referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall include the information provided for in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004 for each vessel to be authorised by the Member State to participate in the krill fishery. 3. A Member State intending to fish for krill in the CCAMLR Convention Area shall only notify its intention to do so in respect of authorised vessels either flying its flag at the time of the notification or flying the flag of another CCAMLR member that are expected, at the time the fishery takes place, to be flying the flag of that Member State. 4. Member States shall be entitled to authorise participation in a krill fishery by vessels other than those notified to CCAMLR Secretariat in accordance with paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Article, if an authorised vessel is prevented from participation due to legitimate operational reasons or force majeure . In such circumstances the Member States concerned shall immediately inform the CCAMLR Secretariat and the Commission, providing: (a) full details of the intended replacement vessel(s), including information provided for in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004; (b) a comprehensive account of the reasons justifying the replacement and any relevant supporting evidence or references. 5. Member States shall not authorise a vessel on any CCAMLR illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) Vessel List to participate in krill fisheries.
Article 27 Limitation of fishing capacity of vessels fishing in the IOTC Convention Area
1. The maximum number of Union vessels fishing for tropical tunas in the IOTC Convention Area and the corresponding capacity in gross tonnage shall be as set out in point 1 of Annex VI. 2. The maximum number of Union vessels fishing for swordfish ( Xiphias gladius ) and albacore ( Thunnus alalunga ) in the IOTC Convention Area and the corresponding capacity in gross tonnage shall be as set out in point 2 of Annex VI. 3. Member States may re-allocate vessels assigned to one of the two fisheries referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 to the other fishery, provided that they can demonstrate to the Commission that this change does not lead to an increase of fishing effort on the fish stocks involved. 4. Member States shall ensure that, where there is a proposed transfer of capacity to their fleet, vessels to be transferred are on the IOTC Record of Vessels or on the record of vessels of other tuna regional fisheries organisations. Furthermore, no vessels featuring on the list of vessels engaged in IUU fishing activities (IUU vessels) of any RFMO may be transferred. 5. In order to take into account the implementation of the development plans submitted to the IOTC, Member States may only increase their fishing capacity beyond the ceilings referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 within the limits set out in those plans.
Article 28 Sharks
1. Retaining on board, transhipping or landing any part or whole carcass of thresher sharks of all the species of the Alopiidae family in any fishery shall be prohibited. 2. Retaining on board, transshipping or landing any part or whole carcass of oceanic whitetip sharks ( Carcharhinus longimanus ) in any fishery shall be prohibited, except for vessels under 24 metres overall length engaged solely in fishing operations within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Member State whose flag they fly, and provided that their catch is destined solely for local consumption. 3. When accidentally caught, species referred to in paragraph 1 and 2 shall not be harmed. Specimens shall be promptly released.
Article 29 Pelagic fisheries - capacity limitation
Member States having actively exercised pelagic fisheries activities in the SPRFMO Convention Area in 2007, 2008 or 2009 shall limit the total level of gross tonnage of vessels flying their flag and fishing for pelagic stocks in 2014 to the total Union level of 78 600 gross tonnage in that area.
Article 30 Pelagic fisheries – TACs
1. Only Member States having actively exercised pelagic fisheries activities in the SPRFMO Convention Area in 2007, 2008 or 2009, as specified in Article 29, may fish for pelagic stocks in that area in accordance with the TACs set out in Annex IJ. 2. The fishing opportunities set out in Annex IJ may only be fished under the condition that Member States send to the Commission, in order to communicate them to the SPRFMO Secretariat, the list of vessels actively fishing or engaged in transhipment in the SPRFMO Convention Area, records from vessel monitoring systems (VMS), monthly catch reports and, where available, port calls at the latest by the fifth day of the following month.
Article 31 Bottom fisheries
Member States with a track record in bottom fishing effort or catch in the SPRFMO Convention Area over the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006 shall limit their effort or catch to: (a) the average level of catches or effort parameters over that period; and (b) only those parts of the SPRFMO Convention Area where bottom fisheries have occurred in any previous fishing season.
Article 32 Purse-seine fisheries
1. The fishing by purse-seine vessels for yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ), bigeye tuna ( Thunnus obesus ) and skipjack tuna ( Katsuwonus pelamis ) shall be prohibited: (a) from 29 July to 28 September 2014 or from 18 November 2014 to 18 January 2015 in the area defined by the following limits: — the Pacific coastlines of the Americas, — longitude 150° W, — latitude 40° N, — latitude 40° S; (b) from 29 September to 29 October 2014 in the area defined by the following limits: — longitude 96° W, — longitude 110° W, — latitude 4° N, — latitude 3° S. 2. The Member States concerned shall notify the Commission of the selected period of closure referred to in paragraph 1 before 1 April 2014. All the purse-seine vessels of the Member States concerned shall stop purse-seine fishing in the areas defined in paragraph 1 during the selected period. 3. Purse-seine vessels fishing for tuna in the IATTC Convention Area shall retain on board and then land or tranship all yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack tuna caught. 4. Paragraph 3 shall not apply in the following cases: (a) where the fish is considered unfit for human consumption for reasons other than size; or (b) during the final set of a trip when there may be insufficient well space remaining to accommodate all the tuna caught in that set. 5. It shall be prohibited to fish for oceanic whitetip sharks ( Carcharhinus longimanus ) in the IATTC Convention Area, and to retain on board, to tranship, to store, to offer to sell, to sell or to land any part or whole carcass of oceanic whitetip sharks in that area. 6. When accidentally caught, the species referred to in paragraph 5 shall not be harmed. Specimens shall be promptly released by vessel operators, who shall also: (a) record the number of releases with indication of status (dead or alive); (b) report the information specified in paragraph (a) to the Member State of which they are nationals. Member States shall transmit this information to the Commission by 31 January 2014.
Article 33 Prohibition of fishing for deep water sharks
Directed fishing for the following deep water sharks in the SEAFO Convention Area shall be prohibited: — skates ( Rajidae ), — spiny dogfish ( Squalus acanthias ), — blurred smooth lanternshark ( Etmopterus bigelowi ), — shorttail lanternshark ( Etmopterus brachyurus ), — great lanternshark ( Etmopterus princeps ), — smooth lanternshark ( Etmopterus pusillus ), — ghost catshark ( Apristurus manis ), — velvet dogfish ( Scymnodon squamulosus ), — deep-sea sharks of the Selachimorpha super-order.
Article 34 Conditions for bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna and south Pacific albacore fisheries
1. Member States shall ensure that the number of fishing days allocated to purse-seine vessels fishing for bigeye tuna ( Thunnus obesus ), yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ) and skipjack tuna ( Katsuwonus pelamis ) in the part of the WCPFC Convention Area in the high seas and located between 20° N and 20° S does not exceed 403 days. 2. Union vessels shall not target south Pacific albacore ( Thunnus alalunga ) in the WCPFC Convention Area south of 20° S.
Article 35 Closed area for FAD fishing
1. In the part of the WCPFC Convention Area located between 20° N and 20° S, fishing activities of purse-seine vessels making use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) shall be prohibited between 00:00 hours of 1 July 2014 and 24:00 hours of 31 October 2014. During that period, a purse-seine vessel may only engage in fishing operations within that part of the WCPFC Convention Area if it carries onboard an observer to monitor that at no time does the vessel: (a) deploy or service a FAD or associated electronic device; (b) fish on schools in association with FADs. 2. All purse- seine vessels fishing in the part of the WCPFC Convention Area referred to in paragraph 1 shall retain onboard and land or tranship all bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack tuna caught. 3. Paragraph 2 shall not apply in the following cases: (a) in the final set of a trip, if the vessel has insufficient well space left to accommodate all fish; (b) where the fish is unfit for human consumption for reasons other than size; or (c) when a serious malfunction of freezer equipment occurs.
Article 36 Overlap area between IATTC and WCPFC
1. Vessels listed exclusively in the WCPFC register shall apply the measures set out in Articles 34 to 37 when fishing in the overlap area between IATTC and WCPFC as defined in Article 4(p). 2. Vessels listed in both the WCPFC register and the IATTC register and vessels listed exclusively in the IATTC register shall apply the measures set out in Article 32(1)(a) and (2) to (6) when fishing in the overlap area between IATTC and WCPFC as defined in Article 4(p).
Article 37 Limitations to the number of Union vessels authorised to fish swordfish
The maximum number of Union vessels authorised to fish for swordfish ( Xiphias gladius ) in areas south of 20° S of the WCPFC Convention Area shall be as indicated in Annex VII.
Article 38 Prohibition on fishing in the high seas of the Bering Sea
Fishing for pollock ( Theragra chalcogramma ) in the high seas of the Bering Sea shall be prohibited.
Article 39 TACs
Fishing vessels flying the flag of Norway and fishing vessels registered in the Faroe Islands shall be authorised to make catches in Union waters within the TACs set out in Annex I to this Regulation and subject to the conditions provided for in this Regulation and Chapter III of Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008.
Article 40 Fishing authorisations
1. The maximum number of fishing authorisations for third-country vessels fishing in Union waters is laid down in Annex VIII. 2. Fish from stocks for which TACs are fixed shall not be retained on board or landed unless the catches have been taken by third-country vessels having a quota and that quota is not exhausted.
Article 41 Prohibitions
1. It shall be prohibited for third-country vessels to fish for, to retain on board, to tranship or to land the following species: (a) basking shark ( Cetorhinus maximus ) and white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ) in Union waters; (b) angel shark ( Squatina squatina ) in Union waters; (c) common skate ( Dipturus batis ) complex ( Dipturus cf. flossada and Dipturus cf. intermedia ) in Union waters of ICES division IIa and ICES subareas III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X; (d) undulate ray ( Raja undulata ) in Union waters of ICES subareas VI, IX and X and white skate ( Raja alba ) in Union waters of ICES subareas VI, VII, VIII, IX and X; (e) porbeagle ( Lamna nasus ) in Union waters; (f) guitarfishes ( Rhinobatidae ) in Union waters of ICES subareas I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X and XII; (g) giant manta ray ( Manta birostris ) in Union waters. 2. When accidentally caught, the species referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be harmed. Specimens shall be promptly released.
Article 42 Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture established by Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
Article 43 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 . It shall apply from 1 January 2014. However, Article 8 shall apply from 1 February 2014. The provisions on fishing opportunities set out in Articles 24, 25 and 26 and Annexes IE and V for the CCAMLR Convention Area shall apply from the dates specified therein.