Closure of fisheries
Article 6
1. On the basis of the sampling reports referred to in Article 4(4), the coastal Member State concerned may prohibit fishing for Northern prawn with demersal trawls with a mesh size of at least 32mm in an area defined in accordance with Article 7 (‘the closed area’). 2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, trawl vessels targeting Northern prawn with a size selective Nordmøre grid as referred to in Annex III may be allowed to fish for Northern prawn in the closed area. Vessels wishing to use that exemption shall notify their intention and gear use to the Fisheries Monitoring Centre of the coastal Member State before entering the closed area. 3. Vessels using a size selective Nordmøre grid as referred to in Annex III and operating within a closed area shall be subject to a specific monitoring programme to be established by Member States in order to verify the proportion of juveniles of Northern Prawn in the overall catch of that species. The results from those programmes shall be transmitted to the Commission no later than 6 months following the starting date of the programme and 12 months thereafter. 4. If the inspection of a vessel using a size selective Nordmøre grid as referred to in Annex III in a closed area shows a catch of juveniles of Northern prawn which reaches the trigger catch level, that vessel shall move out of the closed area for the remainder of the closure period. 5. However, the vessel may return to the closed area after adjusting the gear and remain in the area, provided it obtains the permission of the competent control authorities, In that case, the next haul of the vessel shall be inspected by the control authorities in order to ensure that the catch of juveniles of Northern prawn do not reach the trigger catch level.