Fishing vessel weekly licence variations 3 September 2021

ALL 10m and under groups and
ALL over 10m groups

ALL

UK Celtic Sea technical measures

5.30.1 Where the vessel fishes using bottom otter trawls or bottom seines (OTB, OTT, OT, PTB, PT, SSC, SDN, SPR, SX, SV, TBN, TBS, TB, TX)  in those parts of British fishery limits which fall within the Celtic Sea Protection Zone it must use a codend[1] with minimum 110 mm mesh size and fitted with a square mesh panel with 120 mm minimum mesh size.

5.30.2 Where the vessel fishes using otter trawls or bottom seines in those parts of British fishery limits which fall within ICES divisions 7e-j other than those referred to in condition 5.30.1 above, it must use a codend with minimum 100 mm mesh size, and when fishing west of longitude 5° W it must also use a square mesh panel with minimum 100 mm mesh size.

5.30.3 Where the vessel fishes using otter trawls or bottom seines in ICES divisions 7e-J it must use a codend that is constructed of a single twine of a maximum of 6 mm or a double twine of a maximum of 4mm.

5.30.4 Where the vessel fishes using otter trawls or bottom seine in ICES divisions 7e-j, other than when targeting nephrops, it must not use or carry on board a strengthening bag[2].

5.30.5 The obligation in condition 5.30.1 does not apply to a vessel which fishes using otter trawls or bottom seines in ICES division 7f within 12 nautical miles of the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea adjacent to the United Kingdom is measured, which must instead use a codend with minimum 100 mm mesh size and square mesh panel with minimum 100 mm mesh size.

5.30.6 The obligation in conditions 5.30.1 and 5.30.2 do not apply to a vessel whose catch comprises 5% or more of nephrops, which must instead use any one of the following gear configurations:

(a) a codend of at least 80mm mesh size coupled with a 300 mm square mesh panel (for vessels in excess of 12 metres in length) or a 200 mm square mesh panel (for vessel below 12 metres in length);

(b) Seltra panel;

(c) Sorting grid with a 35 mm bar spacing;

(d) 100 mm codend with a 100 mm square mesh panel;

(e) Dual codend with the uppermost codend constructed with T90 mesh of at least 90 mm and fitted with a separation panel with a maximum mesh size of 300 mm.

5.30.7 The obligation in condition 5.30.1 does not apply to a vessel whose catch comprises more than 55% of whiting, or 55% of anglerfish, hake or megrim combined, which must instead use a codend with minimum 100 mm mesh size and square mesh panel with minimum 100 mm mesh size.

5.30.8 The obligation in condition 5.30.1 does not apply to a vessel which fishes solely in ICES division 7f to the east of longitude 5° W west and whose catch comprises less than 10 % gadoids (Gadidae), which must instead use a codend with minimum 80 mm mesh size and a square mesh panel with minimum 120 mm mesh size.

5.30.9 The obligation in condition 5.30.1 or condition 5.30.5 does not apply to a vessel which fishes West of longitude 5° West, in ICES divisions 7e, or in ICES division 7f within 12 nautical miles of the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea adjacent to the United Kingdom is measured, provided that the vessel instead uses a 100mm single twine codend with maximum 5mm twine thickness.

5.30.10 By way of derogation to points 5.30.1, 5.30.2 and 5.30.5– 5.30.9 above, vessels of 12m or less and an engine power of 221kw or less fishing within 12nm of the United Kingdom in ICES area 7e east of 5 degrees west, may fish in accordance Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures..

5.30.11 For the purposes of this condition, the Celtic Sea Protection Zone shall mean ICES divisions 7f, 7g, that part of ICES division 7h which is north of latitude 49° 30' N and that part of ICES division 7j which is north of latitude 49° 30' North and east of longitude 11°W

5.30.12 Square mesh panels as referred to in this condition shall be placed into the top panel of the codend. The rearmost edge of the square mesh panel, which is the part closest to the codline, shall be no more than 9 metres from the codline.

Footnotes

0001 hours on 5 September 2021

10 Metre and Under – Non PO

(Moray Firth)

AU

Change in catch limit

Mackerel

Moray Firth

Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes  

0001 hours on 5 September 2021 – 2359 hours on 18 September 2021

10 Metre and Under – Non PO

(Shetland)

AU

Change in catch limit

Mackerel

Shetland

Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes  

0001 hours on 5 September 2021 – 2359 hours on 18 September 2021

10 Metre and Under – Non PO

(Orkney)

AU

Change in catch limit

Mackerel

Orkney

Fortnightly catch limit of 1 tonne  

0001 hours on 5 September 2021 – 2359 hours on 18 September 2021

10 Metre and Under – Non PO

(IVb)

AU

Change in catch limit

Mackerel

IVb

Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes 

0001 hours on 5 September 2021 – 2359 hours on 18 September 2021