Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1394/2014 of 20 October 2014 establishing a discard plan for certain pelagic fisheries in south-western waters

COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) No 1394/2014

of 20 October 2014

establishing a discard plan for certain pelagic fisheries in south-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 South Western waters, as defined in Article 4(2)(d) of that Regulation, in the fisheries set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Survivability exemption

By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the landing obligation shall not apply to catches of anchovy, horse mackerel, jack mackerel and mackerel in artisanal purse seine fisheries. All such catches may be released, provided that the net is not fully taken on board.

Article 3

De minimis exemptions

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 in the industrial pelagic trawler fishery, which targets blue whiting in ICES division VIII using midwater trawls (OTM) and processes 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 of albacore tuna in the large pelagic fisheries which target albacore tuna in ICES division VIII using midwater pair trawls (PTM);

• (c) up to a maximum of 4 % in 2018, 2019 and 2020 of the total annual catches of anchovy, mackerel and horse mackerel in the pelagic trawl fishery which targets anchovy, mackerel and horse mackerel in ICES division 8 using pelagic trawls;

• (d) up to a maximum of 4 % in 2018, 2019 and 2020 of the total annual catches of horse mackerel, jack mackerel and mackerel, and 1 % in 2018, 2019 and 2020 of the total annual catches of anchovy in the fishery which targets horse mackerel, jack mackerel, mackerel and anchovy in ICES divisions VIII, IX, X and CECAF divisions 34.1.1, 34.1.2, 34.2.0 using purse seines (PS).

Article 4

Minimum conservation reference size

The minimum conservation reference size for anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) caught in ICES subarea IX and CECAF area 34.1.2 shall be 9 cm.

By way of derogation from Annex XII to Regulation (EC) No 850/98, the minimum conservation reference size for horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) caught in ICES division VIIIc and ICES subarea IX shall be 12 cm for 5 % of the respective quotas of Spain and Portugal in those areas. Within that limit of 5 %, in the xávega artisanal beach sein fishery in ICES division IXa 1 % of the quota of Portugal may be caught with the size below 12 cm.

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

Fisheries subject to the provisions of this regulation implementing the landing obligation

• 1.Fisheries in ICES zone VIII:

• 2.Fisheries in ICES zone IХ:

• 3.Fisheries in ICES zone X:

• 4.Fisheries in CECAF zones 34.1.1, 34.1.2, 34.2.0: