Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1393/2014 of 20 October 2014 establishing a discard plan for certain pelagic fisheries in north-western waters

COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) No 1393/2014

of 20 October 2014

establishing a discard plan for certain pelagic fisheries in north-western waters

Article 1

Subject matter

This Regulation specifies the details for implementing the landing obligation, provided for in Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, from 1 January 2015 in the north-western waters, as defined in Article 4(2)(c) of that Regulation, in the fisheries set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Survivability exemption

• —the catch is released before a certain percentage (set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 below) of the purse seine is closed (‘the point of retrieval’).

• —the purse seine gear is fitted with visible buoys clearly marking the limit for the point of retrieval,

• —the vessel and the purse seine gear are equipped with an electronic recording and documenting system when, where and extent to which the purse seine has been hauled for all fishing operations.

Article 3

De minimis exemptions in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017

By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the following quantities may be discarded:

• (a)for blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), up to a maximum of 7 % in 2015 and 2016, and 6 % in 2017, of the total annual catches in the industrial pelagic trawler fishery targeting that species in ICES zones Vb, VI and VII and processing that species on board to obtain surimi base;

• (b)up to a maximum of 7 % in 2015 and 2016, and 6 % in 2017 for albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) of the total annual catches in the albacore tuna directed fisheries using midwater pair trawls (PTM) in ICES sea areas VII;

• (c)up to a maximum of 3 % in 2015 and 2 % for 2016 of the total annual catches of mackerel (Scomber scombrus), horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.), herring (Clupea harengus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) in the pelagic fishery with pelagic trawlers up to 25 metres in length overall, using mid-water trawl (OTM), targeting mackerel, horse mackerel and herring in ICES zone VIId;

• (d)up to a maximum of 1 % in 2015 and 0,75 % in 2016 of the TAC of boarfish (Caproidae) in the fishery targeting horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) with pelagic freezer trawlers using midwater trawls in ICES zones VI and VII.

Article 3a

De minimis exemptions in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020

By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the following quantities may be discarded:

• (a)up to a maximum of 6 %, in 2018, and 5 %, in 2019 and 2020, of the total annual catches of blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) in the industrial pelagic trawler fishery targeting that species in ICES divisions Vb, VI and VII, and processing that species on board to obtain surimi base;

• (b)up to a maximum of 6 %, in 2018, and 5 %, in 2019 and 2020, of the total annual catches for albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the albacore tuna directed fisheries using midwater pair trawls (PTM) in ICES subarea VII;

• (c)up to a maximum of 1 %, in 2018, 2019 and 2020, of the total annual catches of mackerel (Scomber scombrus), horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.), herring (Clupea harengus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) in the fishery carried out with pelagic trawlers up to 25 meters in length overall, using mid-water trawl (OTM and PTM) and targeting mackerel, horse mackerel and herring in ICES division VIId.

Article 4

Documentation of catches

Quantities of fish released under the exemption provided for in Article 2 and the results of the sampling required under Article 2(5) shall be reported in the logbook.

Article 5

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 2015 to 31 December 2020.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

ANNEX

• 1.Fisheries in ICES zones Vb, VIa, VIb:

• 2.Fisheries in zones ICES VII (excluding ICES zones VIIa, VIId and VIIe):

• 3.Fisheries in ICES zones VIId and VIIe:

• 4.Fisheries in ICES zone VIIa: