Legal provisions of COM(2024)506 - Fixing for 2025 and 2026 of the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters - Main contents
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| dossier | COM(2024)506 - Fixing for 2025 and 2026 of the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union ... |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2024)506  |
| date | January 30, 2025 |
TITLE I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1
Subject matter
1. This Regulation fixes fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters.
2. The fishing opportunities referred to in paragraph 1 include:
| (a) | catch limits for the year 2025 and, where specified in this Regulation, also for the year 2026; |
| (b) | fishing effort limits for the year 2025, as well as the fishing effort limits set out in Annex II, which cover the period from 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2026; |
| (c) | fishing opportunities for the period from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025 for certain stocks in the CCAMLR Convention area and for certain stocks in the SIOFA Agreement Area; |
| (d) | fishing opportunities for the period from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026 in the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) Convention area. |
Article 2
Scope
1. This Regulation applies to the following fishing vessels:
| (a) | Union fishing vessels; and |
| (b) | third-country fishing vessels in Union waters. |
2. This Regulation also applies to:
| (a) | certain recreational fisheries expressly referred to in the relevant provisions of this Regulation; and |
| (b) | commercial fisheries from shore. |
Article 3
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the definitions in Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 shall apply. In addition, the following definitions shall apply:
| (a) | ‘third-country fishing vessel’ means a fishing vessel flying the flag of, and registered in, a third country; |
| (b) | ‘recreational fisheries’ means non-commercial fishing activities exploiting marine biological resources in the context of recreation, tourism or sport; |
| (c) | ‘international waters’ means waters outside the sovereignty or jurisdiction of any State; |
| (d) | ‘total allowable catch’ (‘TAC’) means:
|
| (e) | ‘quota’ means a proportion of a TAC that is allocated to the Union, a Member State or a third country; |
| (f) | ‘analytical assessment’ means a quantitative evaluation of trends in a given stock, based on data about the stock’s biology and exploitation, including based on proxies, which scientific review has indicated to be of sufficient quality to provide scientific advice; |
| (g) | ‘analytical TAC’ means a TAC for which an analytical assessment is available; |
| (h) | ‘precautionary TAC’ means a TAC for which an analytical assessment is not available but rather an assessment based on the precautionary approach is available or no assessment is available; |
| (i) | ‘mesh size’ means the mesh size of fishing nets as defined in Article 6, point (34), of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council (18); |
| (j) | ‘Union fishing fleet register’ means the register set up by the Commission pursuant to Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; |
| (k) | ‘fishing logbook’ means the logbook referred to in Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; |
| (l) | ‘instrumented buoy’ means a buoy clearly marked with a unique reference number allowing identification of its owner and equipped with a satellite tracking system to monitor its position; |
| (m) | ‘operational buoy’ means any instrumented buoy, previously activated, switched on and deployed at sea on a drifting fish aggregating device (FAD) or log, which transmits positions and other available information such as echo-sounder estimates. |
Article 4
Fishing zones
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following fishing zone definitions apply:
| (a) | ‘ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) zones’ means the geographical areas specified in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 218/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (19); |
| (b) | ‘Skagerrak’ means the geographical area bounded on the west by a line drawn from the Hanstholm lighthouse to the Lindesnes lighthouse and on the south by a line drawn from the Skagen lighthouse to the Tistlarna lighthouse and from that point to the nearest point on the Swedish coast; |
| (c) | ‘Kattegat’ means the geographical area bounded on the north by a line drawn from the Skagen lighthouse to the Tistlarna lighthouse and from that point to the nearest point on the Swedish coast and on the south by a line drawn from Hasenøre to Gnibens Spids, from Korshage to Spodsbjerg and from Gilbjerg Hoved to Kullen; |
| (d) | ‘functional unit 16 of ICES subarea 7’ means the geographical area bounded by rhumb lines sequentially joining the following positions:
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| (e) | ‘functional unit 25 of ICES division 8c’ means the geographical sea area bounded by rhumb lines sequentially joining the following positions:
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| (f) | ‘functional unit 26 of ICES division 9a’ means the geographical area bounded by rhumb lines sequentially joining the following positions:
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| (g) | ‘functional unit 27 of ICES division 9a’ means the geographical area bounded by rhumb lines sequentially joining the following positions:
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| (h) | ‘functional unit 30 of ICES division 9a’ means the geographical area under the jurisdiction of Spain in the Gulf of Cádiz and in the adjacent waters of ICES division 9a; |
| (i) | ‘functional unit 31 of ICES division 8c’ means the geographical sea area bounded by rhumb lines sequentially joining the following positions:
|
| (j) | ‘Gulf of Cádiz’ means the geographical area of ICES division 9a east of longitude 7° 23' 48″ W; |
| (k) | ‘CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) Convention area’ means the geographical area defined in the Convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources (20); |
| (l) | ‘CECAF (Committee for Eastern Central Atlantic Fisheries) areas’ means the geographical areas specified in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 216/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (21); |
| (m) | ‘IATTC (Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission) Convention area’ means the geographical area defined in the Convention for the Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established by the 1949 Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica (Antigua Convention) (22); |
| (n) | ‘ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) Convention area’ means the geographical area defined in the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (23); |
| (o) | ‘IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission) Area of Competence’ means the geographical area defined in the Agreement for the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (24); |
| (p) | ‘NAFO (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation) areas’ means the geographical areas specified in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 217/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (25); |
| (q) | ‘NAFO Convention Area’ means the geographical areas defined in the Convention on future Multilateral Cooperation in the North-West Atlantic Fisheries (26); |
| (r) | ‘NAFO Regulatory Area’ means the part of the NAFO Convention Area which is beyond national jurisdiction; |
| (s) | ‘NPFC Convention area’ means the geographical area defined in the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean (27); |
| (t) | ‘SEAFO (South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation) Convention area’ means the geographical area defined in the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Fishery Resources in the South-East Atlantic Ocean (28); |
| (u) | ‘SIOFA (Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement) Agreement Area’ means the geographical area defined in the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (29); |
| (v) | ‘SPRFMO (South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation) Convention area’ means the geographical area defined in the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean (30); |
| (w) | ‘WCPFC (Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission) Convention area’ means the geographical area defined in the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (31); |
| (x) | ‘high seas of the Bering Sea’ means the geographical area of the high seas of the Bering Sea beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial seas of the coastal States of the Bering Sea is measured; |
| (y) | ‘overlap area between IATTC and WCPFC Convention areas’ means the geographical area defined by the following limits:
|
TITLE II
FISHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNION FISHING VESSELS
CHAPTER I
General provisions
Article 5
TACs and allocations
1. The TACs for Union fishing vessels in Union waters and certain non-Union waters, their allocation among Member States and, where appropriate, the conditions functionally linked thereto are set out in Annex I.
2. Union fishing vessels may be authorised by the coastal State concerned to fish in waters under the jurisdiction of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Norway and in the fishing zone around Jan Mayen, subject to the TACs set out in Annex I to this Regulation and subject to the conditions provided for in Article 23 of this Regulation, in Part A of Annex V to this Regulation and in Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 of the European Parliament and of the Council (32) and delegated acts adopted by the Commission on the basis of that Regulation.
3. Union fishing vessels may be authorised by the United Kingdom to fish in waters under its jurisdiction, subject to the TACs set out in Annex I to this Regulation and subject to the conditions provided for in Article 23 of this Regulation and in Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 and delegated acts adopted by the Commission on the basis of that Regulation.
Article 6
TACs to be determined by Member States
1. The TACs set out in Annex I shall, where specified in that Annex, be determined by the Member State concerned.
2. The TACs to be determined by a Member State referred to in paragraph 1 shall:
| (a) | be consistent with the objectives and rules set out in Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 and in Regulations (EU) 2018/973 and 2019/472, in particular the objective of sustainable exploitation of the stock; and |
| (b) | result in an exploitation of the stock that is:
|
3. By 15 March 2025 each Member State concerned shall submit the following information to the Commission:
| (a) | the TACs that it has determined; |
| (b) | the data that it has collected, assessed and used as a basis for the determination of those TACs; |
| (c) | details as to how the TACs that it has determined comply with paragraph 2. |
4. For the TAC for black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo) in CECAF area 34.1.2, Portugal shall submit the information referred to in paragraph 3 for that TAC for 2025 by 1 February 2025 and for that TAC for 2026 by 1 February 2026.
5. Where appropriate, the Commission may request the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF):
| (a) | to assess the information referred to in paragraph 3, points (b) and (c); and |
| (b) | to assess whether the TACs determined by Member States comply with paragraph 2. |
6. If, according to the advice of STECF, the information referred to in paragraph 3, points (b) and (c), is deemed insufficient, the Member States concerned shall submit to the Commission additional information in line with the STECF advice, together with supporting documents justifying that additional information in relation to the STECF advice, no later than 1 month after the publication of the STECF advice.
7. If, according to the advice of STECF, the methodology followed for determining the TAC by the Member States does not fully comply with the conditions laid down in paragraph 2, the Member States concerned shall revise the methodology followed for determining the TAC for the following year, in line with that STECF advice.
Article 7
Conditions for landing catches and by-catches
1. Catches that are not subject to the landing obligation under Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 shall be retained on board or landed only if they:
| (a) | have been taken by fishing vessels flying the flag of a Member State that has a quota and that quota has not been exhausted; or |
| (b) | make up a share of a Union quota that has not been allocated among Member States and that has not been exhausted. |
2. For the purposes of the derogation from the obligation to count catches against the relevant quotas, as provided for in Article 15(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the stocks of non-target species within safe biological limits referred to in that Article are identified in Annex I to this Regulation.
Article 8
Quota exchange mechanism for TACs for unavoidable by-catches
1. In order to take account of the landing obligation and to make quotas for certain by-catches available to Member States without a quota, the quota exchange mechanism set out in paragraphs 2 to 5 of this Article shall apply to the TACs identified in Annex IA.
2. 6 % of each quota from the TACs for cod (Gadus morhua) in the Celtic Sea (COD/7XAD34), cod in the West of Scotland (COD/5BE6A), whiting in the Irish Sea (WHG/07A.) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) in ICES divisions 7h, 7j and 7k (PLE/7HJK.), and 3 % of each quota from the TAC for whiting (Merlangius merlangus) in the West of Scotland (WHG/56-14), allocated to each Member State, shall be made available for a pool for quota exchanges (‘the pool’), which shall open on 1 January 2025. Member States without a quota shall have exclusive access to the pool until 31 March 2025.
3. The quantities drawn from the pool may not be exchanged or transferred to the following year. After 31 March 2025, any unused quantities shall be returned to the Member States that initially contributed to the pool.
4. Member States without a quota shall provide in return quotas for stocks listed in Annex IA, Part C, unless the Member State without a quota and the Member State contributing to the pool agree otherwise.
5. The quotas referred to in paragraph 4 shall be of equivalent commercial value, determined on the basis of a market exchange rate or other mutually acceptable exchange rates. In the absence of alternatives, the equivalent commercial value shall be determined on the basis of average Union prices from the previous year, as provided by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products.
6. Where the quota exchange mechanism set out in paragraphs 2 to 5 of this Article does not allow Member States to cover their unavoidable by-catches to a similar extent, Member States shall endeavour to agree on quota exchanges pursuant to Article 16(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, ensuring that quotas exchanged are of equivalent commercial value.
Article 9
Fishing effort limits in ICES division 7e
1. For the period referred to in Article 1(2), point (b), of this Regulation fishing effort limitations for sole (Solea solea) in ICES division 7e are set out in Annex II.
2. At the request of a Member State in accordance with point 7.4 of Annex II, the Commission may adopt an implementing act by means of which it allocates to that Member State a number of days at sea in addition to those referred to in point 5 of Annex II, on which it may authorise a fishing vessel flying its flag to be present in ICES division 7e when carrying on board any regulated gear. The Commission shall adopt that implementing act in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 61(2) of this Regulation.
3. At the request of a Member State, the Commission may adopt an implementing act by means of which it allocates to that Member State a maximum of 3 days between 1 February 2025 and 31 January 2026, in addition to those referred to in point 5 of Annex II, on which a fishing vessel may be present in ICES division 7e on the basis of an enhanced programme of scientific observer coverage, as referred to in point 8.1 of Annex II. It shall make such an allocation on the basis of the description submitted by that Member State in accordance with point 8.3 of Annex II and following consultation with the STECF. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 61(2) of this Regulation.
Article 10
Measures on European seabass fisheries in ICES divisions 4b, 4c and 6a and ICES subarea 7
1. It shall be prohibited for Union fishing vessels, as well as for any commercial fisheries from shore, to fish for European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in ICES divisions 4b and 4c and in ICES subarea 7 or to retain on board, tranship, relocate or land European seabass caught in that area.
2. The prohibition set out in paragraph 1 shall not apply to by-catches of European seabass in shore-based commercial netting activities. This exemption applies to historic numbers of beach nets set at pre-2017 levels. Shore-based commercial netting activities shall not target European seabass, and only unavoidable by-catches of European seabass may be landed.
3. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, in January 2025 and from 1 April to 31 December 2025, Union fishing vessels in ICES divisions 4b, 4c, 7d, 7e, 7f and 7h may fish for, retain on board, tranship, relocate or land European seabass caught in that area with the following gear and within the following limits:
| (a) | using demersal trawls (33), for unavoidable by-catches not exceeding 3,8 tonnes per fishing vessel and per year and 10 % of the weight of the total catches of marine organisms on board caught by the fishing vessel concerned per fishing trip; |
| (b) | using seines (34), for unavoidable by-catches not exceeding 3,8 tonnes per fishing vessel and per year and 10 % of the weight of the total catches of marine organisms on board caught by the fishing vessel concerned per fishing trip; |
| (c) | using hooks and lines (35), not exceeding 6,8 tonnes per fishing vessel and per year; |
| (d) | using fixed gillnets (36), for unavoidable by-catches not exceeding 1,8 tonnes per fishing vessel and per year. |
The derogations set out in the first subparagraph, point (c), shall apply to Union fishing vessels that have recorded catches of European seabass using hooks and lines during the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 September 2016.
The derogations set out in the first subparagraph, point (d), shall apply to Union fishing vessels that have recorded catches of European seabass using fixed gillnets during the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 September 2016.
In the case of a replacement of a Union fishing vessel, Member States may allow the derogations to apply to another Union fishing vessel provided that the number of Union fishing vessels subject to each of the derogations and their overall fishing capacity do not increase.
4. The catch limits set out in paragraph 3 shall not be transferable between fishing vessels.
5. In recreational fisheries, including from shore, in ICES divisions 4b, 4c, 6a and 7a to 7k:
| (a) | from 1 February to 31 March 2025:
|
| (b) | in January and from 1 April to 31 December 2025:
|
6. Paragraph 5 shall apply without prejudice to more stringent national measures on recreational fisheries.
Article 11
Measures for European seabass fisheries in ICES divisions 8a and 8b
1. When determining their fishing opportunities for commercial fisheries, Spain and France shall jointly ensure that the sum of commercial landings and recreational removals for European seabass in ICES divisions 8a and 8b do not exceed 2 631 tonnes. Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 shall apply to those fishing opportunities.
2. By 15 March, Spain and France shall inform the Commission of the fishing opportunities referred to in paragraph 1 and how those fishing opportunities comply with that paragraph.
3. Catches in commercial fisheries under the fishing opportunities referred to in paragraph 1 shall be reported by Spain (BSS/8ABSPA) and by France (BSS/8ABFRA).
4. In recreational fisheries, including from shore, in ICES divisions 8a and 8b:
| (a) | a maximum of one specimen of European seabass may be caught and retained per fisher per day; |
| (b) | fixed nets shall not be used to catch or retain European seabass. |
5. Paragraph 4 shall apply without prejudice to more stringent national measures on recreational fisheries.
Article 12
Measures for pollack in ICES subareas 8, 9 and 10 and Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1
1. A minimum conservation reference size of 42 cm shall apply for catches of pollack (Pollachius pollachius) in ICES subareas 8, 9 and 10 and Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1.
2. In recreational fisheries, including from shore, in ICES subareas 8, 9 and 10 and Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1:
| (a) | a maximum of two specimens of pollack may be caught and retained per fisher per day; once that ceiling has been reached, ‘catch and release’ fishing may be carried out; |
| (b) | no specimens of pollack are permitted to be caught and retained from 1 January to 30 April; ‘catch and release’ fishing may nevertheless be carried out during that period. |
3. Paragraph 1 applies without prejudice to more stringent national measures on recreational fishing.
Article 13
Measures on European eel fisheries in Union waters of ICES subareas 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9
1. This Article applies to Union marine and brackish waters of ICES subareas 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and to adjacent Union brackish waters, including estuaries, coastal lagoons and transitional waters.
2. This Article does not apply to commercial fishing operations conducted for the exclusive purpose of scientific investigations with or without a fishing vessel, provided that those investigations are carried out in compliance with the conditions set out in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 and that the STECF has confirmed to the Commission and the Member States concerned that such scientific investigations are justified on scientific grounds.
3. It shall be prohibited to engage in commercial fishing activities for European eel (Anguilla anguilla) at all life stages for a period of at least 6 months between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. In addition, Members States and fishers shall undertake all reasonable efforts to minimise and where possible eliminate incidental by-catch of European eel. When accidentally caught, specimens of European eel shall not be harmed and shall be promptly released. To that effect, the Member State concerned, either individually or jointly, shall determine one or more closure periods subject to the following conditions:
| (a) | where appropriate, the closure period or periods may differ between Member States or within one Member State from one fishing area to another in order to take account of the geographical and temporal migration pattern of European eel at its different life stages; |
| (b) | the closure period or periods shall last for a consecutive or non-consecutive time span of at least 6 months, which shall apply to all fishers concerned in the relevant fishing area; |
| (c) | the closure period or periods shall be consistent with the conservation objectives set out in Regulation (EC) No 1100/2007, and with national management plans established pursuant to Article 2 of that Regulation; and |
| (d) | the closure period or periods shall cover the main migration period or periods, including the respective peak, of European eel at the respective life stage in the Member State concerned. |
4. By way of derogation from paragraph 3, point (d), for European eel of an overall length of 12 cm or more, the Member States concerned may allow fishing activities for up to a total of 30 consecutive or non-consecutive days, which shall apply to all fishers concerned in the relevant fishing area, during the main migration period. In that case, the Member States concerned shall determine an additional closure of an equivalent period of time during the main migration period or, subsidiarily, just before or after it. In cases where a Member State allows fishing for non-consecutive days, the fishing gear shall be taken out of the water between any period of non-consecutive days.
5. For European eel of an overall length of 12 cm or more in ICES subarea 3, the closure period or periods referred to in paragraph 3 and the derogation thereof referred to in paragraph 4 shall be agreed by all the Member States concerned so as to ensure an effective protection of European eel on its migration from the Baltic Sea into the North Sea. In the absence of such an agreement by 1 April 2025, the closure period shall be 15 September 2025 to 15 March 2026 in Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Sweden, and without the possibility of the derogation referred to in paragraph 4.
6. By way of further derogation from paragraph 3, point (d), for European eel of an overall length of less than 12 cm, the Member States concerned may allow fishing activities for up to a total of 30 consecutive or non-consecutive days, which shall apply to all fishers concerned in the relevant fishing area, during the main migration period. In addition, the Member States concerned may allow fishing exclusively for restocking for up to an additional 50 days during the main migration period. In both cases, the Member States concerned shall determine an additional closure of an equivalent period of time during the main migration period or, subsidiarily, just before or after it. In cases where a Member State allows fishing for non-consecutive days, the fishing gear shall be taken out of the water between any period of non-consecutive days.
7. Recreational fisheries of European eel at all life stages shall be prohibited.
8. The Member State concerned, either individually or jointly, shall inform the Commission:
| (a) | by 1 May 2025, of the closure period or periods that it has determined in accordance with paragraphs 3 to 6, together with the supporting information justifying the chosen period or periods; |
| (b) | within 2 weeks of their adoption, of national measures relating to the closure period or periods that it has determined in accordance with paragraph 3 to 6. |
Article 14
Special provisions on allocations of fishing opportunities
1. The allocation of fishing opportunities among Member States set out in this Regulation shall be without prejudice to:
| (a) | exchanges pursuant to Article 16(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; |
| (b) | deductions and reallocations pursuant to Article 37 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; |
| (c) | reallocations pursuant to Articles 12 and 47 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2403; |
| (d) | additional landings allowed under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 and Article 15(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; |
| (e) | quantities withheld in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 and Article 15(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; |
| (f) | deductions pursuant to Articles 105, 106 and 107 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; |
| (g) | quota transfers and exchanges pursuant to Articles 24 and 55 of this Regulation. |
2. Stocks subject to precautionary or analytical TACs for the purposes of the year-to-year management of TACs and quotas provided for in Regulation (EC) No 847/96 are identified in Annex I to this Regulation.
3. Except where otherwise specified in Annex I to this Regulation, Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 shall apply to stocks subject to a precautionary TAC, and Article 3(2) and (3) and Article 4 of that Regulation shall apply to stocks subject to an analytical TAC.
4. Articles 3 and 4 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 shall not apply where a Member State uses the year-to-year flexibility provided for in Article 15(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
Article 15
Closed fishing seasons for sandeels
Commercial fishing for sandeels (Ammodytes spp.) with demersal trawl, seine or similar towed gears with a mesh size of less than 16 mm shall be prohibited in ICES divisions 2a and 3a and in ICES subarea 4 from 1 January to 31 March 2025 and from 1 August to 31 December 2025.
Article 16
Remedial measures for cod in the North Sea
1. The areas closed to fishing, except with pelagic gear (purse seines and trawls), and the periods during which the closures apply are set out in Annex IV.
2. Fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls and seines with minimum mesh size of at least 70 mm in ICES divisions 4a and 4b or at least 90 mm in ICES division 3a, and longlines (37) shall be prohibited from fishing in Union waters of ICES division 4a, north of latitude 58°30′00″N and south of latitude 61°30′00″N, and in Union waters of ICES divisions 3a.20 (Skagerrak), 4a and 4b, north of latitude 57°00′00″N and east of longitude 5°00′00″E.
3. By way of derogation from paragraph 2, fishing vessels referred to in that paragraph may fish in the areas referred to in that paragraph provided that they fulfil at least one of the following criteria:
| (a) | their cod catches do not account for more than 5 % of their total catches per fishing trip; fishing vessels whose cod catches did not exceed 5 % of their total catches in 2017–2019 are presumed to comply with this criterion provided that they continue to use the same gear that they used in that period; this presumption may be rebutted; |
| (b) | a regulated and highly selective bottom trawl or seine is used, resulting, according to a scientific study, in at least a 30 % reduction in cod catches compared to vessels fishing with the baseline mesh size for towed gears, as specified in Part B, point 1.1, of Annex V to Regulation (EU) 2019/1241; such studies may be evaluated by the STECF and in the case of a negative evaluation, the gears concerned shall no longer be considered valid for use in the areas referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article; |
| (c) | for fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls and seines with mesh sizes equal to or larger than 100 mm (TR1), the following highly selective gears are used:
|
| (d) | for fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls and seines with mesh sizes equal to or larger than 70 mm in ICES division 4a and 90 mm in ICES division 3a, and less than 100 mm (TR2), the following highly selective gears are used:
|
| (e) | fishing vessels are subject to a national cod avoidance plan to sustain cod catches in line with the fishing mortality corresponding to the fishing opportunities fixed, based on scientific advice levels, through spatial or technical measures, or a combination thereof; such plans shall be assessed no later than 2 months following their implementation, by the STECF in the case of Member States or by the relevant national scientific body in the case of third countries, and, where deemed necessary, further revised if such assessments find that the objective of the national cod avoidance plan will not be met. |
4. Member States shall enhance the monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing vessels referred to in paragraph 2 in order to ensure compliance with the conditions laid down in paragraph 3.
5. This Article does not apply to fishing operations conducted for the exclusive purpose of scientific investigations, provided that those investigations are carried out in compliance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241.
Article 17
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:
|
| (b) | in addition, fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls whose catches weighed before any discards consist of at least 20 % of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) shall use a fishing gear that is constructed with a minimum of one metre 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 (Nephrops norvegicus) shall use one of the following gears:
|
| (d) | fishing vessels fishing with bottom trawls or seines with catches comprising more than 55 % of whiting or more than 55 % of anglerfish (Lophiidae), hake (Merluccius merluccius) or megrim (Lepidorhombus spp.) combined, shall use one of the following gears:
|
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 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 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:
|
| (b) | fishing vessels equal to or greater than 12 metres in length overall operating with bottom trawls or seines with catches comprising more than 10 % of haddock, cod and skates and rays (Rajiformes) 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) | in ICES divisions 7b and 7c; |
| (b) | in the area west of 5° W longitude in ICES division 7e; and |
| (c) | in ICES divisions from 7f to 7k. |
This prohibition shall not apply to fishing vessels where:
| (a) | they use a cod-end mesh size of at least 100 mm; or |
| (b) | their by-catches of cod do not exceed 1,5 %, as assessed by the STECF, when fishing outside the areas referred to in paragraph 1. |
Article 18
Technical measures for red seabream in ICES subareas 6, 7 and 8
1. A minimum conservation reference size of 36 cm shall apply for the catches of red seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) in ICES subareas 6, 7 and 8.
2. A minimum conservation reference size of 40 cm shall apply for the recreational catches of red seabream in ICES subareas 6 and 7.
3. From 1 January to 30 June 2025, all fishing for red seabream in ICES subareas 6, 7 and 8 shall be prohibited to fishing vessels flying the French flag.
4. From 1 February to 30 September 2025, fishing with bottom set longlines (LLS) and bottom trawls (OTB) shall be prohibited in the western area of the Cantabrian Sea, opposite to Asturias and Galicia.
5. Recreational fisheries for red seabream shall be prohibited within the following geographical areas: Area RF 1 (Cariño/Celeiro), Area RF 2 (Ribadeo), Area RF 3 (Navia), Area RF 4 (Ensenada Canero), Area RF 5 (Ensenada de Cabrera/Ría San Martín de la Arena), Area RF 6 (Ría de Treto), Area RF 7 (Bilbao/Plentzia) and Area RF 8 (Bermeo/Mundaka).
Article 19
Remedial measures for cod in the Kattegat
1. Union fishing vessels fishing in the Kattegat with bottom trawls (38) with minimum mesh size of 70 mm shall use one of the following selective gears:
| (a) | sorting grid with maximum 35 mm bar spacing, with an unblocked fish outlet; |
| (b) | sorting grid with maximum 50 mm bar spacing separating flatfish and roundfish, with an unblocked fish outlet for roundfish; |
| (c) | seltra panel with 300 mm square-mesh size; |
| (d) | regulated highly selective gear, the technical attributes of which shall result, according to a scientific study assessed by the STECF, for fishing vessels exclusively carrying on board such a gear, in less than 1,5 % of catches of cod. |
2. Union fishing vessels participating in a project run by a Member State and having functioning equipment for fully documented fisheries may use a gear in accordance with Part B of Annex V to Regulation (EU) 2019/1241. By 31 March 2025, the Member State concerned shall communicate a list of such vessels to the Commission.
3. This Article does not apply to fishing operations conducted for the exclusive purpose of scientific investigations, provided that those investigations are carried out in compliance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241.
Article 20
Closure to protect common sole spawning in ICES subdivisions 20 to 24
It shall be prohibited from 15 May to 15 June for Union fishing vessels to target common sole in ICES subdivisions 20 to 24.
Article 21
Prohibited species
1. Union fishing vessels shall not fish for, retain on board, tranship or land the following species:
| (a) | starry ray (Amblyraja radiata) in United Kingdom and Union waters of ICES subarea 4 and division 7d, United Kingdom waters of division 2a and Union waters of division 3a; |
| (b) | splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens) in NAFO subarea 6; |
| (c) | sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) in all waters other than the Mediterranean; |
| (d) | common skate (Dipturus batis) complex (Dipturus cf. flossada and Dipturus cf. intermedia) in United Kingdom and Union waters of ICES subareas 4, 6, 7 and 8, United Kingdom waters of division 2a and subarea 5 and Union waters of subareas 3, 9 and 10; |
| (e) | great lanternshark (Etmopterus princeps) in United Kingdom and Union waters of ICES subarea 4, United Kingdom waters of division 2a and international waters of subareas 1 and 14; |
| (f) | tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus) when taken with longlines in United Kingdom and Union waters of ICES subareas 4, United Kingdom waters of division 2a, United Kingdom and international waters of subarea 5, United Kingdom, Union and international waters of subareas 6, 7 and 8, and international waters of subareas 12 and 14; |
| (g) | orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) in United Kingdom, Union and international waters of ICES subareas 1 to 10, 12 and 14; |
| (h) | porbeagle (Lamna nasus) in all waters; |
| (i) | thornback ray (Raja clavata) in Union waters of ICES division 3a; |
| (j) | undulate ray (Raja undulata) in United Kingdom and Union waters of ICES subarea 6 and Union waters of ICES subarea 10; |
| (k) | whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in all waters; |
| (l) | common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) in the Mediterranean; and |
| (m) | deep-sea species listed in Annex IA, Part D, in Union, United Kingdom and international waters of ICES zones 1, 2 (except United Kingdom waters of division 2a), 5 to 10, 12 and 14, and CECAF areas 34.1.1, 34.1.2 and 34.2, as well as in Union and United Kingdom waters of ICES division 2a and subarea 4, where specified in that Annex. |
2. When accidentally caught, specimens of the species referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be harmed and shall be promptly released.
Article 22
Data transmission
When Member States submit to the Commission data relating to landings and fishing effort pursuant to Articles 33 and 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, they shall use the stock codes set out in Annex I to this Regulation.
CHAPTER II
Fishing authorisations in third-country waters
Article 23
Fishing authorisations
1. The maximum numbers of fishing authorisations for Union fishing vessels in third-country waters, where applicable, are set out in Part A of Annex V.
2. Where, in accordance with Article 16(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, a Member State, after notifying the Commission, transfers quota to another Member State in the fishing areas set out in Part A of Annex V to this Regulation, the transfer shall be accompanied, where relevant, by an appropriate transfer of fishing authorisations. The total number of authorisations for each fishing area, as set out in Part A of Annex V to this Regulation, shall not be exceeded. That transfer of fishing authorisations shall be notified by the transferring Member State to the Commission at the time of the notification to the Commission of the quota transfer.
CHAPTER III
Fishing opportunities managed by regional fisheries management organisations
Section 1
General provisions
Article 24
Quota transfers or exchanges
1. Where the rules of a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) permit quota transfers or exchanges between the Contracting Parties to that RFMO, a Member State (‘the Member State concerned’) may discuss with a Contracting Party to that RFMO and establish a possible outline of an intended quota transfer or exchange, as appropriate. The Member State concerned shall notify the Commission of that outline.
2. On being notified in accordance with paragraph 1, the Commission may endorse the outline of the intended quota transfer or exchange. If the Commission endorses that outline, it shall express, without undue delay, the consent to be bound by the intended quota transfer or exchange. It shall notify the secretariat of the relevant RFMO of the transfer or exchange in accordance with the rules of that RFMO.
3. The Commission shall inform the Member States of any agreed quota transfer or exchange.
4. The fishing opportunities received or transferred by the Member State concerned under the quota transfer or exchange shall be deemed to be quotas added to, or deducted from, its allocation as of the moment when the transfer or exchange takes effect under the terms of the agreement with the relevant Contracting Party to the RFMO or in accordance with the rules of the relevant RFMO, as appropriate. Such transfers or exchanges shall not affect the distribution key for allocating fishing opportunities among Member States in accordance with the principle of relative stability of fishing activities.
Section 2
NAFO Regulatory Area
Article 25
Recovery measures for cod in NAFO divisions 2J3KL
Fishing vessels fishing for cod in the part of NAFO divisions 2J3KL covered by the NAFO Regulatory Area shall use gear with the following minimum mesh sizes:
| (a) | when using a sorting grid, as defined in Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2019/833 of the European Parliament and of the Council (39) – 130 mm; or |
| (b) | 155 mm. |
Section 3
NEAFC Convention area
Article 26
Redfish in the Irminger Sea
1. All fishing activities shall be prohibited in the area bounded by the following coordinates measured according to the WGS84 system:
| Latitude | Longitude |
| 63°00'N | 30°00'W |
| 61°30'N | 27°35'W |
| 60°45'N | 28°45'W |
| 62°00'N | 31°35'W |
| 63°00'N | 30°00'W |
2. Fishing vessels shall be prohibited from fishing, retaining on board, transhipping or landing in Union ports shallow pelagic and deep pelagic beaked redfish (Sebastes mentella) from the Irminger Sea and adjacent waters (ICES subareas 5, 12 and 14, and NAFO subareas 1 and 2). That prohibition shall apply to Union fishing vessels also in third-country ports.
3. Union fishing vessels shall be prohibited from participating in transhipment operations involving the stocks referred to in paragraph 2.
4. Union vessels shall be prohibited from refuelling or providing support services to fishing vessels with catches of the stocks referred to in paragraph 2.
5. Fishing vessels having carried out directed fisheries for the stocks referred to in paragraph 2 shall not be authorised to land in Union ports.
6. Fishing vessels having carried out directed fisheries for the stocks referred to in paragraph 2 shall not be authorised for any fishing activities in Union waters.
7. Union fishing vessels shall be prohibited from participating in transhipment operations involving vessels having carried out directed fisheries of the stocks referred to in paragraph 2.
8. Union vessels shall be prohibited from refuelling or providing support services to fishing vessels having carried out directed fisheries for the stocks referred to in paragraph 2.
Section 4
ICCAT Convention area
Article 27
Fishing, farming and fattening capacity limitations
1. The number of Union bait boats and trolling boats authorised to fish actively for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) between 8 kg/75 cm and 30 kg/115 cm in the eastern Atlantic shall be limited as set out in point 1 of Annex VI.
2. The number of Union coastal artisanal fishing vessels authorised to fish actively for bluefin tuna between 8 kg/75 cm and 30 kg/115 cm in the Mediterranean shall be limited as set out in point 2 of Annex VI.
3. The number of Union fishing vessels fishing for bluefin tuna in the Adriatic Sea for farming purposes authorised to fish actively for bluefin tuna between 8 kg/75 cm and 30 kg/115 cm shall be limited as set out in point 3 of Annex VI.
4. The number of Union fishing vessels authorised to fish for, retain on board, tranship, transport or land bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean shall be limited as set out in point 4 of Annex VI.
5. The number of traps engaged in bluefin tuna fishery in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean shall be limited as set out in point 5 of Annex VI.
6. The number of authorised farms to operate for bluefin tuna and the maximum input of wild-caught bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean shall be limited as set out in point 6 of Annex VI.
7. The maximum number of Union fishing vessels authorised to fish for northern albacore (Thunnus alalunga) as a target species in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 of the European Parliament and of the Council (40) shall be limited as set out in point 7 of Annex VI to this Regulation.
8. The maximum number of Union fishing vessels of at least 20 m length fishing for bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) in the ICCAT Convention area shall be limited as set out in point 8 of Annex VI.
Article 28
Recreational fisheries
Where appropriate, Member States shall allocate a specific share from their allocated quotas to recreational fisheries, as set out in Annex ID.
Article 29
Sharks
In addition to the prohibitions established in Articles 32 to 36 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2107, it shall also be prohibited to engage in directed fishery for species of thresher sharks of the Alopias genus.
Article 30
FADs for tropical tunas
1. It shall be prohibited to use FADs in the ICCAT Convention area from 17 March 2025 to 30 April 2025.
2. From 2 March 2025 to 16 March 2025, Member States shall ensure that their fishing vessels do not deploy FADs.
Section 5
CCAMLR Convention area
Article 31
Exploratory fisheries notifications for toothfish for the 2025-2026 fishing season
1. Member States may participate in, or authorise their fishing vessels to participate in, longline exploratory fisheries for toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) in FAO subareas 48.6, 88.1 and 88.2 and FAO divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2 and 58.4.3a outside areas of national jurisdiction for fishing in the period from 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2026, in accordance with Article 7(2) to (7) of Council Regulation (EC) No 601/2004 (41).
2. By way of derogation from the deadlines set out in Article 7(5) and (6) of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004, Member States intending to participate in, or authorise their fishing vessels to participate in, exploratory fisheries as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall notify the CCAMLR Secretariat no later than 1 June 2025.
Article 32
Toothfish fishery during the 2024-2025 fishing season
1. In addition to the special requirements for exploratory fisheries set out in Article 7a of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004, fishing for toothfish in the period from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025 shall be limited to the Member States, subareas and number of fishing vessels set out in Table A in Annex VII, and the TACs, and by-catch limits set out in Table B in that Annex shall apply.
2. Direct fishing of shark species for purposes other than scientific research shall be prohibited. Any by-catch of shark, especially juveniles and gravid females, taken accidentally in the toothfish fishery shall be released alive.
3. Where applicable, fishing for toothfish in any small-scale research unit (SSRU) shall cease when the reported catch reaches the specified TAC, and the SSRU shall be closed to fishing for the remainder of the fishing season.
4. Fishing shall take place over a geographical and bathymetric range as large as possible, so as to obtain the information necessary to determine fishery potential and avoid an overconcentration of catch and fishing effort. However, fishing in FAO subareas 48.6, 88.1 and 88.2 shall be prohibited in depths of less than 550 m.
Article 33
Krill fishery during the 2025–2026 fishing season
1. For the purposes of Article 5a of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004, Member States intending to fish for krill (Euphausia superba) in the CCAMLR Convention area during the period from 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2026 shall notify the Commission thereof by 1 May 2025, using the form in Part B of the Appendix to Annex VII.
2. By way of derogation from the deadlines set out in Article 7(5) and (6) of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004, and on the basis of the information provided by the Member States concerned, the Commission shall submit the notifications to the CCAMLR Secretariat by 30 May 2025.
3. The notification referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall include the information provided for in Article 3(2) and (3) of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004 for each fishing vessel to be authorised to participate in the krill fishery.
4. A Member State intending to fish for krill in the CCAMLR Convention area shall notify the Commission thereof only in respect of authorised fishing vessels that, at the time of the notification:
| (a) | are flying its flag; or |
| (b) | are flying the flag of another CCAMLR member and are expected to be flying the flag of that Member State at the time the fishery takes place. |
5. Where an authorised fishing vessel notified to the CCAMLR Secretariat in accordance with paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 is prevented from participating in a krill fishery due to legitimate operational reasons or force majeure, the Member State concerned may authorise its replacement by another fishing vessel. In such a case, the Member State concerned shall immediately inform the CCAMLR Secretariat, with the Commission in copy, providing:
| (a) | full details of the intended replacement fishing vessel(s), including the information provided for in Article 3(2) and (3) of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004; and |
| (b) | a comprehensive account of the reasons justifying the replacement and any relevant supporting evidence or references. |
Section 6
IOTC Area of Competence
Article 34
Limitation of fishing capacity of vessels fishing in the IOTC Area of Competence
1. The maximum number of Union fishing vessels fishing for tropical tunas in the IOTC Area of Competence and the corresponding capacity in gross tonnage shall be as set out in point 1 of Annex VIII.
2. The maximum number of Union fishing vessels fishing for swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and albacore (Thunnus alalunga) in the IOTC Area of Competence and the corresponding capacity in gross tonnage shall be as set out in point 2 of Annex VIII.
3. Member States may reallocate fishing vessels assigned to one of the fisheries referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 to the other fishery, provided that they can demonstrate to the Commission that such change does not lead to an increase of fishing effort in respect of the fish stocks concerned.
4. Where a transfer of capacity to the fleet of a Member State is proposed, that Member State shall ensure that fishing vessels to be transferred are on the IOTC record of authorised vessels or on the record of vessels of other RFMOs managing tuna fisheries. Fishing vessels that appear on any RFMO’s list of vessels that have engaged in illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing activities may not be transferred.
5. Member States may increase their fishing capacity beyond the ceilings referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 only within the limits set out in the development plans submitted to the IOTC.
Article 35
Drifting FADs and supply vessels
1. Drifting FADs shall be equipped with instrumented buoys. The use of any other buoys, such as radio buoys, shall be prohibited.
2. A purse seine vessel shall follow no more than 300 operational buoys at any time.
3. No more than 500 instrumented buoys shall be acquired annually for each purse seine vessel. No purse seine vessel shall have more than 500 instrumented buoys, both in stock and operational, at any time.
4. No more than three supply vessels shall operate in support of not fewer than 10 purse seine vessels, all flying the flag of a Member State. This paragraph shall not apply to Member States using only one supply vessel.
5. A single purse seine vessel shall not be supported by more than one supply vessel flying the flag of a Member State at any time.
6. The Union shall not register new or additional supply vessels in the IOTC record of authorised vessels.
Section 7
SPRFMO Convention area
Article 36
Pelagic fisheries
1. Only those Member States that have actively exercised pelagic fisheries activities in the SPRFMO Convention area in 2007, 2008 or 2009 may fish for pelagic stocks in that area in accordance with the TACs set out in Annex IH.
2. The Member States referred to in paragraph 1 may use the fishing opportunities set out in Annex IH only if they send the following information to the Commission by the fifteenth day of the following month, so that the Commission can communicate it to the SPRFMO Secretariat:
| (a) | a list of vessels actively fishing or engaged in transhipment in the SPRFMO Convention area; |
| (b) | monthly catch reports. |
Section 8
IATTC Convention area
Article 37
Purse seine fisheries
1. Purse seine vessels shall not fish for yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) or skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis):
| (a) | either from 00:00 hours on 29 July 2025 to 24:00 hours on 8 October 2025 or from 00:00 hours on 9 November 2025 to 24:00 hours on 19 January 2026 in the area defined by the following limits:
|
| (b) | from 00:00 hours on 9 October 2025 to 24:00 hours on 8 November 2025 in the area defined by the following limits:
|
2. For each of the fishing vessels referred to in paragraph 1 and flying the flag of a Member State, that flag Member State shall inform the Commission before 1 April 2025 which of the closure periods referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), the fishing vessel has selected.
3. Purse seine vessels fishing for tuna in the IATTC Convention area shall retain on board and then tranship or land all yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack tuna that they catch.
4. Paragraph 3 shall not apply:
| (a) | where the fish is considered unfit for human consumption for reasons other than size; |
| (b) | during the final set of a trip, when there may be insufficient well space remaining to accommodate all the tuna caught in that set. |
Article 38
Drifting FADs
1. A purse seine vessel shall have no more than the number of FADs set out in the table below active at any time in the IATTC Convention area. A FAD shall be considered active when it is deployed at sea, starts transmitting its location and is being tracked by the vessel, its owner or operator. A FAD shall be activated only on board a purse seine vessel.
| Vessels with a capacity below 1 200 m3 | 210 FADs |
| Vessels with a capacity equal to or greater than 1 200 m3 | 340 FADs |
2. During the 15 days before the start of the closure period selected in accordance with Article 37(1), point (a), of this Regulation a purse seine vessel shall, in the IATTC Convention area:
| (a) | refrain from deploying FADs; |
| (b) | recover the same number of FADs as initially deployed. |
Article 39
Catch limits for bigeye tuna in longline fisheries
The total annual catches of bigeye tuna in the IATTC Convention area by each Member State’s longline vessels are set out in Annex IL.
Article 40
Prohibition of fishing for oceanic whitetip sharks
1. It shall be prohibited to fish for oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) in the IATTC Convention area and to retain on board, tranship, land, store, offer for sale or sell any part or whole carcass of oceanic whitetip sharks caught in that area.
2. When accidentally caught, specimens of oceanic whitetip sharks shall not be harmed and shall be promptly released by fishing vessel operators.
3. Fishing vessel operators shall record the number of releases with indication of status (dead or alive) and report that information to the Member State of which they are nationals. Member States shall transmit that information collected during 2024 to the Commission by 31 January 2025.
Section 9
SEAFO Convention area
Article 41
Prohibition of fishing for deep-water sharks
Directed fishing for the following deep-water sharks in the SEAFO Convention area shall be prohibited:
| (a) | ghost catshark (Apristurus manis); |
| (b) | blurred smooth lanternshark (Etmopterus bigelowi); |
| (c) | shorttail lanternshark (Etmopterus brachyurus); |
| (d) | great lanternshark (Etmopterus princeps); |
| (e) | smooth lanternshark (Etmopterus pusillus); |
| (f) | skates (Rajidae); |
| (g) | velvet dogfish (Scymnodon squamulosus); |
| (h) | sharks of the Selachimorpha super-order; |
| (i) | picked dogfish (Squalus acanthias). |
Section 10
WCPFC Convention area
Article 42
Conditions for bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna and South Pacific albacore fisheries
1. Member States shall ensure that no more than 403 fishing days are allocated to purse seine vessels fishing for bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) in the high seas areas between 20° N and 20° S of the WCPFC Convention area.
2. Union fishing vessels shall not target South Pacific albacore (Thunnus alalunga) in the WCPFC Convention area south of 20° S.
3. The maximum number of Union purse seine vessels authorised to fish for tropical tuna in the high seas areas between 20° N and 20° S of the WCPFC Convention area shall not exceed the limits set out in Annex IX, Table 2.
Article 43
Management of fishing with FADs
1. In the part of the WCPFC Convention area located between 20° N and 20° S, purse seine vessels, tender vessels, and any other vessels operating in support of purse seine vessels, shall not deploy, service or set nets on FADs between 00:00 hours on 1 July 2025 and 24:00 hours on 15 August 2025.
2. In addition to the prohibition set out in paragraph 1, it shall be prohibited to set nets on FADs on the high seas of the WCPFC Convention area located between 20° N and 20° S for 1 additional month, from 00:00 hours on 1 April 2025 to 24:00 hours on 30 April 2025, or from 00:00 hours on 1 May 2025 to 24:00 hours on 31 May 2025, or from 00:00 hours on 1 November 2025 to 24:00 hours on 30 November 2025, or from 00:00 hours on 1 December 2025 to 24:00 hours on 31 December 2025.
3. The Member States concerned shall jointly determine which of the closure periods referred to in paragraph 2 shall apply to purse seine vessels flying their flag. The Member States shall jointly inform the Commission by 15 February 2025 of the closure period selected. The Commission shall notify the secretariat of the WCPFC of the joint closure period selected by Member States concerned before 1 March 2025.
4. Each Member State shall ensure that none of its purse seine vessels deploy at sea, at any time, more than 350 FADs with activated instrumented buoys. Buoys shall be activated exclusively on board a purse seine vessel.
Article 44
Maximum number of Union fishing vessels authorised to fish for swordfish
The maximum number of Union fishing vessels authorised to fish for swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in areas of the WCPFC Convention area south of 20° S shall be as set out in Annex IX.
Article 45
Catch limits for swordfish in longline fisheries south of 20° S
Member States shall ensure that catches of swordfish south of 20° S by longliners in 2025 do not exceed the limit set out in table 2 of Annex IG. They shall also ensure that this does not result in a shift of the fishing effort for swordfish to the area north of 20° S.
Section 11
Bering Sea
Article 46
Prohibition on fishing for pollock in the high seas of the Bering Sea
It shall be prohibited to fish for pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) in the high seas of the Bering Sea.
Section 12
SIOFA Agreement Area
Article 47
Limits to bottom fishing
Member States shall ensure that fishing vessels flying their flag that fish in the SIOFA Agreement Area:
| (a) | limit their annual bottom fishing effort to the level set out in Annex X; |
| (b) | do not bottom fish except using demersal longlines; and |
| (c) | do not fish in the interim protected areas of Atlantis Bank, Coral, Fools Flat, Middle of What and Walter’s Shoal, as defined in Annex IK, except with demersal longlines and on condition of having a scientific observer on board at all times while fishing in those areas. |
Article 48
Toothfish fishery measures
Member States shall ensure that fishing vessels flying their flag that fish for toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) in the SIOFA Agreement Area:
| (a) | do not fish in depths shallower than 500 metres; |
| (b) | have at least one scientific observer on board at all times who shall have a target of observing 25 % of hooks hauled per line over the duration of the fishing deployment; and |
| (c) | tag and release toothfish specimens at a rate of at least five fish per tonne of green weight caught; once 30 or more toothfish have been caught a minimum overlap statistic of at least 60 % shall apply for tag release. |
Article 49
Prohibition of targeting deep-water sharks
Directed fishing for the following deep-water sharks in the SIOFA Agreement Area shall be prohibited:
| (a) | Portuguese dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis), except in the context of the by-catch allowance as set out in Annex IK; |
| (b) | birdbeak dogfish (Deania calceus); |
| (c) | gulper shark (Centrophorus granulosus); |
| (d) | kitefin shark (Dalatias licha); |
| (e) | Bach’s catshark (Bythaelurus bachi); |
| (f) | dark-mouth chimaera (Chimaera buccanigella); |
| (g) | the Falkor chimaera (Chimaera didierae); |
| (h) | seafarer’s ghostshark (Chimaera willwatchi); |
| (i) | longnose velvet dogfish (Centroselachus crepidater); |
| (j) | largespine velvet dogfish (Scymnodon macracanthus); |
| (k) | velvet dogfish (Zameus squamulosus); |
| (l) | whitecheek lanternshark (Etmopterus alphus); |
| (m) | smallbelly catshark (Apristurus indicus); |
| (n) | Pacific longnose chimaera (Harriotta raleighana); |
| (o) | narrowhead catshark (Bythaelurus tenuicephalus); |
| (p) | frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus); |
| (q) | bigeyed six-gill shark (Hexanchus nakamurai); |
| (r) | smooth lanternshark (Etmopterus pusillus); |
| (s) | southern sleeper shark (Somniosus antarcticus); |
| (t) | goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni); |
| (u) | blue-eye lanternshark (Etmopterus viator); |
| (v) | blurred smooth lanternshark (Etmopterus bigelowi); |
| (w) | leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus); |
| (x) | little gulper shark (Centrophorus uyato); |
| (y) | shortspine spurdog (Squalus mitsukurii); |
| (z) | longsnout dogfish (Deania quadrispinosa); |
| (za) | arrowhead dogfish (Deania profundorum); |
| (zb) | Cristina’s skate (Bathyraja tunae); |
| (zc) | paddlenose chimaera (Rhinochimaera africana). |
Section 13
NPFC Convention area
Article 50
Chub mackerel fishery
1. For Union fishing vessels fishing in the NPFC Convention area, flag Member States shall transmit the following aggregated data to the Commission by the following dates:
| (a) | monthly catches under the catch limits for chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) for all NPFC Contracting Parties for trawlers and purse seiners respectively, as set out in Annex IM when utilisation of those catch limits is below 60 %, by the seventh day of the following month; and |
| (b) | weekly catches of chub mackerel under those catch limits when utilisation of those catch limits is above 60 % and below 95 %, by Tuesday of the following week. |
The Commission shall compile and promptly transmit that information to the NPFC Executive Secretary.
2. Within 2 days of the issue date of notifications of the NPFC Executive Secretary that the utilisation of those catch limits has reached 95 %, the Commission shall close the fisheries under those catch limits.
3. The Commission shall compile and transmit annual catches of chub mackerel in the NPFC Convention area to the NPFC Executive Secretary by the end of February of the following year.
4. This Article shall apply in addition to the reporting obligations on fishing opportunities set out in Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
Article 51
Protection of sharks in the NPFC Convention area
1. Union fishing vessels fishing in the NPFC Convention area shall not fish for, retain on board, tranship or land sharks in the NPFC Convention area.
2. When accidentally caught, specimens of the species referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be harmed and shall be promptly released.
Article 52
Protection of anadromous fish in the NPFC Convention area
1. Union fishing vessels fishing in the NPFC Convention area shall not fish for, retain on board, tranship or land Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) and Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
2. When accidentally caught, specimens of the species referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be harmed and shall be promptly released.
TITLE III
FISHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIRD-COUNTRY FISHING VESSELS IN UNION WATERS
Article 53
Fishing vessels flying the flag of Norway or of the Faroe Islands
Fishing vessels flying the flag of Norway or of the Faroe Islands may be authorised by the Commission to fish in Union waters subject to the TACs set out in Annex I and subject to the conditions provided for in this Regulation and in Title III of Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 and delegated acts adopted by the Commission on the basis of that Regulation.
Article 54
Fishing vessels flying the flag of the United Kingdom, registered in the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey or the Isle of Man, and licensed by a United Kingdom fisheries administration
Fishing vessels flying the flag of the United Kingdom, registered in the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey or the Isle of Man, and licensed by a fisheries administration of the United Kingdom may be authorised by the Commission to fish in Union waters subject to the TACs set out in Annex I, and subject to the conditions provided for in this Regulation and in Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 and delegated acts adopted by the Commission on the basis of that Regulation.
Article 55
Quota transfers or exchanges with the United Kingdom
1. Any quota transfer or exchange between the Union and the United Kingdom shall take place in accordance with this Article.
2. A Member State intending to transfer or exchange quotas with the United Kingdom may discuss with the United Kingdom an outline of the quota transfer or exchange. The Member State concerned shall notify the Commission of that outline.
3. If the Commission endorses an outline of the quota transfer or exchange referred to in paragraph 2 notified by the Member State concerned, it shall express, without undue delay, the consent to be bound by such quota transfer or exchange. The Commission shall notify the Member States and the United Kingdom of the agreed quota transfer or exchange.
4. The fishing opportunities received from or transferred to the United Kingdom under the agreed quota transfer or exchange shall be deemed to be quotas added to, or deducted from, the allocation of the Member State concerned as of the moment when the quota transfer or exchange has been notified in accordance with paragraph 3. Such transfers or exchanges shall not affect the distribution key for allocating fishing opportunities among Member States in accordance with the principle of relative stability of fishing activities.
Article 56
Fishing vessels flying the flag of Venezuela
Fishing vessels flying the flag of Venezuela shall be subject to the conditions provided for in this Regulation and in Title III of Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 and delegated acts adopted by the Commission on the basis of that Regulation.
Article 57
Fishing authorisations
The maximum number of fishing authorisations for third-country fishing vessels operating in Union waters shall be as set out in Part B of Annex V.
Article 58
Conditions for landing catches and by-catches
The conditions laid down in Article 7 shall apply to the catches and by-catches of third-country fishing vessels fishing under the fishing authorisations referred to in Article 57.
Article 59
Prohibited species
1. Third-country fishing vessels shall not fish for, retain on board, tranship or land the following species where they are found in Union waters:
| (a) | sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) in all Union waters; |
| (b) | starry ray (Amblyraja radiata) in Union waters of ICES divisions 3a and 7d, and Union waters of ICES subarea 4; |
| (c) | common skate (Dipturus batis) complex (Dipturus cf. flossada and Dipturus cf. intermedia) in Union waters of ICES subareas 3, 4 and 6 to 10; |
| (d) | tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus) when taken with longlines in Union waters of ICES subareas 4, 6, 7 and 8; |
| (e) | orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) in Union waters of ICES subareas 3, 4 and 6 to 10; |
| (f) | porbeagle (Lamna nasus) in all Union waters; |
| (g) | thornback ray (Raja clavata) in Union waters of ICES division 3a; |
| (h) | undulate ray (Raja undulata) in Union waters of ICES subareas 6 and 10; |
| (i) | common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) in Union waters of the Mediterranean; |
| (j) | whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in all Union waters; and |
| (k) | deep-sea species listed in Annex IA, Part D, in Union waters of ICES subareas 6 to 10 and CECAF areas 34.1.1, 34.1.2 and 34.2, as well as in Union waters of ICES subarea 4, where specified in that Annex. |
2. When accidentally caught, specimens of the species referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be harmed and shall be promptly released.
TITLE IV
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 60
Amendment of Regulation (EU) 2024/257
Regulation (EU) 2024/257 is amended as follows:
| (1) | in Chapter III, the following section is inserted after Section 1: ‘SECTION 1A NAFO REGULATORY AREA Article 23a Recovery measures for cod in NAFO divisions 2J3KL Fishing vessels fishing for cod in the part of NAFO divisions 2J3KL covered by the NAFO Regulatory Area shall use gear with the following minimum mesh sizes:
(*1) Regulation (EU) 2019/833 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 laying down conservation and enforcement measures applicable in the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1627 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2115/2005 and (EC) No 1386/2007 (OJ L 141, 28.5.2019, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/833/oj).’;" |
| (2) | in Article 59, the following point is inserted after point (d):
; |
| (3) | in Annex IA, Part A, Table 2 is replaced by the following: ‘Table 2
|
| (4) | in Annex IC, Table 1 is replaced by the following: ‘Table 1
|
Article 61
Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture established by Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
Article 62
Transitional provisions
Articles 9 to 13, 15 to 21, 25, 26, 29, 40, 41, 46, 49, 51 and 59 of this Regulation shall continue to apply, mutatis mutandis, in 2026 until the entry into force of the Regulation fixing the fishing opportunities for 2026.
Article 63
Entry into force and application
This Regulation shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.
However:
| (a) | Article 12(1) shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 or until the date on which a delegated act adopted in accordance with Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 and amending Annex VII, Part A, of that Regulation regarding the minimum conservation reference size for pollack in ICES subareas 8, 9 and 10 and Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 becomes applicable, whichever is earlier; |
| (b) | Article 13(1) to (7) shall apply from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026; |
| (c) | Article 13(8) shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2026; |
| (d) | Articles 17 and 18 shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 or until the date on which delegated acts adopted in accordance with Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 and amending Annexes VI and VII of that Regulation regarding technical measures for the Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea and the West of Scotland and technical measures for red seabream in ICES subareas 6, 7 and 8 become applicable, whichever is earlier; |
| (e) | Article 19 shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026; |
| (f) | Article 24 shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 January 2026; |
| (g) | Article 25 shall apply from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 or until the date on which a Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/833 concerning recovery measures for cod in NAFO divisions 2J3KL becomes applicable, whichever is earlier. |
| (h) | Article 26 shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 or until the date on which a delegated act adopted in accordance with Article 54(1), point (m), of Regulation (EU) 2024/2594 of the European Parliament and of the Council (48) and amending Annex IV of that Regulation on technical measures for redfish in the Irminger Sea and adjacent waters becomes applicable, whichever is earlier; |
| (i) | Article 32 and Annex VII shall apply from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025; |
| (j) | Article 37(1), point (a), shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 19 January 2026; |
| (k) | Section 13 shall cease to apply on the date on which a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down corresponding measures becomes applicable; |
| (l) | Annexes IA to IJ, and IL shall also apply in 2026, where specified in those Annexes; |
| (m) | Annex IA, Part B, Tables 116 to 118, footnotes 1, shall apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 or until the date on which a delegated act adopted in accordance with Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 regarding a derogation from the landing obligation for picked dogfish becomes applicable, whichever is earlier; |
| (n) | Annex IK shall apply from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, where specified in that Annex; |
| (o) | Annexes IM and XI shall apply from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026; |
| (p) | Annex II shall apply from 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2026; |
| (q) | catch and effort limits fixed by this Regulation for the year 2025 and, where specified in this Regulation, also in 2026, shall continue to apply in 2026, and where relevant in 2027, exclusively for the purposes of:
|
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.