Exploratory fisheries
Article 20
1. Member States may participate in longline exploratory fisheries for toothfish ( Dissostichus spp.) in FAO subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as in divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2 and 58.4.3a outside areas of national jurisdiction in 2017. If a Member State intends to participate in such fisheries, it shall notify the CCAMLR Secretariat in accordance with Articles 7 and 7a of Regulation (EC) No 601/2004 and in any case no later than 1 June 2017. 2. With regard to FAO subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2 and 58.4.3a, TACs and by-catch limits per subarea and division, and their distribution among Small Scale Research Units (SSRUs) within each of them, shall be as set out in Part B of Annex V. Fishing in any SSRU shall cease when the reported catch reaches the specified TAC, and the SSRU shall be closed to fishing for the remainder of the season. 3. Fishing shall take place over as large a geographical and bathymetric range as possible to obtain the information necessary to determine fishery potential and to avoid over-concentration of catch and fishing effort. However, fishing in FAO subareas 88.1 and 88.2 as well as in divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2 and 58.4.3a shall be prohibited in depths less than 550 metres.