ANNEX IXSupplementary provisions
ANNEX IX MEDITERRANEAN SEA PART A Minimum conservation reference sizes Species Whole Area Bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) 25 cm Annular sea bream ( Diplodus annularis ) 12 cm Sharpsnout sea-bream ( Diplodus puntazzo ) 18 cm White sea-bream ( Diplodus sargus ) 23 cm Two-banded sea-bream ( Diplodus vulgaris ) 18 cm European anchovy ( Engraulis encrasicolus ) 9 cm ( 1 ) Groupers ( Epinephelus spp.) 45 cm Stripped sea-bream ( Lithognathus mormyrus ) 20 cm Hake ( Merluccius merluccius ) 20 cm Red mullets ( Mullus spp.) 11 cm Spanish sea-bream ( Pagellus acarne ) 17 cm Red sea-bream ( Pagellus bogaraveo ) 33 cm Common Pandora ( Pagellus erythrinus ) 15 cm Common sea bream ( Pagrus pagrus ) 18 cm Wreckfish ( Polyprion americanus ) 45 cm European sardine ( Sardina pilchardus ) 11 cm ( 2 ) , ( 4 ) Mackerel ( Scomber spp.) 18 cm Common sole ( Solea vulgaris ) 20 cm Gilt-head sea-bream ( Sparus aurata ) 20 cm Horse mackerel ( Trachurus spp.) 15 cm Norway lobster ( Nephrops norvegicus ) 20 mm CL ( 3 ) 70 mm TL ( 3 ) Lobster ( Homarus gammarus ) 105 mm CL ( 3 ) 300 mm TL ( 3 ) Crawfish ( Palinuridae ) 90 mm CL ( 3 ) Deepwater rose shrimp ( Parapenaeus longirostris ) 20 mm CL ( 3 ) Scallop ( Pecten jacobeus ) 10 cm Carpet Clams ( Venerupis spp.) 25 mm Venus shells ( Venus spp.) 25 mm PART B Mesh sizes 1. Baseline mesh sizes for towed gear The following mesh sizes shall apply in the Mediterranean Sea. Mesh Size ( 5 ) Geographical Areas Conditions At least 40 mm square mesh codend ( 6 ) Whole area A diamond mesh codend of 50 mm 2 may be used as an alternative to the 40 mm square mesh cod end at the duly justified request of the vessel owner At least 20 mm Whole area Directed fishing for sardine and anchovy 2. Baseline mesh size for surrounding nets Mesh Size Geographical Areas Conditions At least 14 mm Whole area None 3. Baseline mesh sizes for static nets The following mesh sizes for bottom set gillnets shall apply in the Mediterranean Sea. Mesh Size Geographical Areas Conditions At least 16 mm Whole area None 4. Existing derogations from the provisions set out in points 1, 2 and 3 for boat seines and shore seines which are affected by a management plan as referred to in Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 and issued within the framework of Article 9 of that Regulation shall continue to apply unless otherwise determined through Article 15 of this Regulation. PART C Restrictions on the use of fishing gear 1. Restrictions on the use of dredges The maximum breadth of dredges shall be 3 m, except for dredges used for directed fishing of sponges. 2. Restrictions on the use of purse seines The length of purse seines and seines without purse lines shall be restricted to 800 m with a drop of 120 m, except in the case of purse seines used for directed fishing of tuna. 3. Restrictions on the use of static nets 3.1. It shall be prohibited to use the following static nets: (a) A trammel net with a drop of more than 4 m; (b) A bottom set gillnet or combined trammel and gillnet with a drop of more than 10 m except when such nets are shorter than 500 m, where a drop of not more than 30 m is permitted. 3.2. It shall be prohibited to use any gillnet, entangling net or trammel net constructed with a twine thickness greater than 0,5 mm. 3.3. It shall be prohibited to have on board or set more than 2 500 m of combined gillnets and trammel nets and 6 000 m of any gillnet, entangling net or trammel net. 4. Restrictions on the use of longlines 4.1. It shall be prohibited for vessels fishing with bottom-set longlines to have on board or deploy more than 5 000 hooks except for vessels undertaking fishing trips of more than 3 days which may have on board or deploy no more than 7 000 hooks. 4.2. It shall be prohibited for vessels fishing with surface-set longlines to have on board or deploy more than the number of hooks per vessel as follows: (a) 2 500 hooks when directed fishing for swordfish; and (b) 5 000 hooks when directed fishing for albacore tuna. 4.3. A vessel undertaking fishing trips longer than 2 days may have on board an equivalent number of spare hooks. 5. Restrictions on the use of pots and creels It shall be prohibited to have on board or set more than 250 pots or creels per vessel to catch deepwater crustaceans. 6. Restrictions on the directed fishing for red sea bream The directed fishing for red sea bream ( Pagellus bogaraveo ) with the following gear shall be prohibited: — gillnets, entangling nets or trammel nets having a mesh size of less than 100 mm; — longlines with hooks of a total length of less than 3,95 cm and a width of less than 1,65 cm. 7. Restrictions on fishing with spear guns It shall be prohibited to fish with spear guns if used in conjunction with underwater breathing apparatus (aqualung) or at night from sunset to dawn. ( 1 ) Member States may convert the minimum conservation reference size into 110 specimens per kg. ( 2 ) Member States may convert the minimum conservation reference size into 55 specimens per kg. ( 3 ) CL — carapace length; TL — total length. ( 4 ) This minimum conservation reference size shall not apply to fries of sardine landed for human consumption if caught by boat seines or shore seines and authorised in accordance with national provisions established in a management plan as referred to in Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006, provided that the stock of sardine concerned is within safe biological limits. ( 5 ) It shall be prohibited to use netting with a twine thickness greater than 3 mm or with multiple twines; or netting with a twine thickness of greater than 6 mm in any part of a bottom trawl. ( 6 ) Only one type of net (either 40 mm square mesh or 50 mm diamond mesh) is allowed to be kept on board or deployed.