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Technical measures for the Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea and the West of Scotland

1. The following shall apply to fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls and seines in ICES divisions 7f, 7g, the part of 7h North of latitude 49° 30′ North and the part of 7j North of latitude 49° 30′ North and East of longitude 11° West:

(a) fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls or seines shall use gear with one of the following mesh sizes:

(i) 110 mm cod-end with 120 mm square-mesh panel;

(ii) 100 mm T90 cod-end;

(iii) 120 mm cod-end;

(iv) 100 mm with 160 mm square-mesh panel;

(b) in addition, fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls whose catches weighed before any discards consist of at least 20 % of haddock shall use a fishing gear that is constructed with a minimum of one meter spacing between the fishing line and ground gear. Member States may exempt from the application of this point fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls whose catches, weighed before any discards, consist of less than 1,5 % of cod, provided those vessels are subject to a progressive increase of observer coverage at sea up to at least 20 % of all their fishing trips;

(c) fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls or seines with catches comprising more than 30 % of Norway lobster shall use one of the following gears:

(i) 300 mm squared mesh panel; vessels below 12 meters in length over all may use a 200 mm square mesh panel;

(ii) seltra panel;

(iii) sorting grid with a 35 mm bar spacing or a similar Net grid selectivity device;

(iv) 100 mm cod-end with a 100 mm square mesh panel;

(v) dual cod-end with the uppermost cod-end constructed with T90 mesh of at least 100 mm and fitted with a separation panel with a maximum mesh size of 300 mm;

(d) fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls or seines with catches comprising more than 55 % of whiting or 55 % of anglerfish, hake or megrim combined, shall use one of the following gears:

(i) 100 mm cod-end with a 100 mm squared mesh panel;

(ii) 100 mm T90 cod-end and extension.

2. The following shall apply to fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls or seines in ICES divisions 6a and 5b, within Union waters, East of 12°W (West of Scotland) in Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) fisheries:

(a) fishing vessels shall use a square mesh panel (positioning retained) of at least 300 mm for vessels deploying a cod-end mesh size less than 100 mm; for vessels below 12 m in length over all and/or with engine power of 200 kW or less, the panel overall length may be 2 m and the panel 200 mm;

(b) fishing vessels with catches comprising more than 30 % of Norway lobster shall use a square mesh panel (positioning retained) of at least 160 mm for vessels deploying a cod-end mesh size of 100-119 mm.

3. The following shall apply to fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls or seines in ICES division 7a (Irish Sea):

(a) fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls or seines with a cod-end mesh size equal to or larger than 70 mm and smaller than 100 mm and with catches comprising more than 30 % of Norway lobster shall use one of the following gears:

(i) 300 mm square mesh panel; fishing vessels below 12 meters in length over all may use a 200 mm squared mesh panel;

(ii) seltra panel;

(iii) sorting grid with 35 mm bar spacing;

(iv) CEFAS Net grid;

(v) flip-flap trawl;

(b) fishing vessels equal to or greater than 12 meters in length overall operating with bottom trawls or seines with catches comprising more than 10 % of haddock, cod and skates and rays combined, shall use 120 mm cod-end.

4. The catch percentages in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall be calculated as the proportion by live weight of all marine biological resources landed after each fishing trip, in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 and Article 27(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241.

5. It shall be prohibited for fishing vessels to fish with bottom trawls and seines in the following zones:

(a) ICES divisions from 7f to 7k, (b) in the area West of 5° W longitude in ICES division 7e and (c) in ICES divisions 7b and 7c. This prohibition shall not apply to fishing vessels in case:

(i) they use a cod-end mesh size of at least 100 mm, or (ii) their by-catches of cod do not exceed 1,5 %, as assessed by the STECF, when fishing outside the areas mentioned in paragraph 1.