1. Each Member State allowing recreational fishing for Mediterranean swordfish shall make provision for a recreational fisheries quota within its national quota and shall inform the Commission thereof when transmitting its annual fishing plan in accordance with Article 9. Such provision shall ensure that all dead Mediterranean swordfish are deducted from the quota.
2. The Member States referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall, for the vessels flying their flag which are engaged in recreational fisheries for Mediterranean swordfish, ensure that the information on authorised vessels referred to in Article 30(2) includes those vessels. Vessels not included with that information shall not be authorised to fish for Mediterranean swordfish.
3. The selling and any other form of marketing of Mediterranean swordfish caught in recreational fisheries shall be prohibited.
4. Notwithstanding Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, it shall be prohibited to catch, retain on board, tranship or land more than one Mediterranean swordfish per vessel per day for recreational fisheries. The Member States concerned shall take the necessary measures to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, and to facilitate the release of Mediterranean swordfish caught alive in the framework of recreational fishing, and may take more restrictive measures which improve the protection of Mediterranean swordfish.
1. Only ‘rod and line’ vessels shall be authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish in recreational fisheries.
2. The information on authorised recreational vessels sent to the ICCAT Secretariat in accordance with point (a) of Article 16(1) shall include the following:
(a)
name of the vessel (in the absence of the name, the registry number without country initials);
(b)
previous name of the vessel, where applicable;
(c)
vessel's length overall;
(d)
name and address of owner(s) and operator(s) of the vessel.
3. Catch data, including length (LJFL) and live weight of each Mediterranean swordfish caught, retained on board and landed in the context of recreational fisheries shall be recorded and reported in accordance with Article 21.
4. Mediterranean swordfish may only be landed whole or gilled and gutted, and either in a designated port in accordance with Article 23, or with a tag affixed to each specimen. Each tag shall have a unique country specific number and be tamper proof.
5. Member States shall establish a tagging programme for the purposes of this Regulation and include the specifications of such programme in the annual fishing plans referred in Article 9.
6. Each Member State shall only authorise the use of tags as long as the accumulated catch amounts are within the quota allocated to it.
7. Each year Member States shall send to the Commission a report on the implementation of the tagging programme, at least two months and 15 days before the ICCAT annual meeting. The Commission shall compile the information from Member States and send it to the ICCAT Secretariat at least two months before the ICCAT annual meeting.
