Commission Regulation (EC) No 1262/2005 of 1 August 2005 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 27/2005 as regards fishing opportunities for herring in zones I and II

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 5(4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Article 5(4) of Regulation (EC) No 27/2005 lays down the possibility to increase the Community’s fishing opportunities for blue whiting and herring when third countries do not respect a responsible management of those stocks.

(2) In disregard of the allocation of fishing opportunities in zones I and II applied by the coastal States concerned since 1997, Norway has recently increased its fishing opportunities of herring by an additional quantity of 14 %. It appears therefore that Norway does not respect a responsible management of the herring stock. While awaiting a long-term management agreement on the herring stock with the coastal States concerned, it is appropriate for the Community to increase its quota provisionally by the same percentage of 14 % to 89 537 tonnes in zones I, II (EC waters and international waters). This is from a scientific point of view unlikely to have any irreversible negative effect on the conservation of the stock.

(3) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

(4) Regulation (EC) No 27/2005 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex IC to Regulation (EC) No 27/2005 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following 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, 1 August 2005.

For the Commission Joe BORG Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 12, 14.1.2005, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 860/2005 (OJ L 144, 8.6.2005, p. 1).