Ref. Ares(2018)3109618 - 13/06/2018
Ref. Ares(2019)2387732 - 04/04/2019
To:
Cc:
; CLARK
Helene (MARE);
(MARE);
(MARE);
(MARE)
Subject:
FW: Joint Recommendation of the Scheveningen group for a 2018 demersal
discard plan: request for additional scientific evidence following the
Importance:
High
Dear
,
I am writing to you in your position of Chairman of the Scheveningen Group.
A STECF Expert Working Group (EWG) met last week to assess the Joint Recommendations of the
various Member States Group and prepare the work for the STECF Plenary of 2 to 6 July.
The EWG issued a number of comments on the Joint Recommendation of the Scheveningen group and I
would like to share them with you (see Annex).
In the light of the EWG’s report and of the scientific evidence provided by to date, we expect the STECF’s
Plenary to express reservations as regards the granting of certain exemptions if these data gaps are not
being closed.
Please note that the annex list cannot be interpreted as a positive STECF assessment regarding
exemption requests for which no data gaps have been identified. Please also note that the tables
contain only those exemptions where EWG18-06 considered there were information or data shortfalls
that might be corrected by provision of information from the respective Regional Groups in the short
term (ie before the STECF July Plenary meeting).
You certainly share my view that it is extremely important that the Scheveningen group provide the
additional scientific evidence requested by the STECF well ahead of the Plenary. We share the same
objective as we all want to ensure that STECF is able to issue a positive opinion on the proposed
measures.
I would kindly ask you to send me the data requested by Monday 25 June, close of business.
Please copy
and
and
in any electronic correspondence on this matter.
Sincerely,
Mare.C1| Fisheries Management Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea|DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
European Commission
| 1049 Brussels | Belgium |
p:
|
e:
Annex
North Sea De Minimis
Exemption Shortfalls
Bycatches in the brown shrimp fishery in
a)No supporting documentation on
the North Sea
disproportionate costs of i) separating out
small fish and ii) need for extra crew.
b)) No breakdown of the fleets by
Member State and the catch data is only
provided as a percentage of the overall
catches and not by volume.
Pelagic species under landing obligation
a)No supporting information is provided
for demersal vessels using bottom trawls
regarding either i)improvements in
(OTB,OTT, PTB, TBB) of mesh size 70-
selectivity being difficult to achieve or ii)
99mm (TR2, BT2) in the North Sea (area
on disproportionate costs of handling
IV)
unwanted catches of pelagic species
onboard.
b)No catch or fleet information on i) other
fisheries involving UK, NL, SE and DK
vessels or on ii) beam trawls
Ling (
Molva molva) for vessels using
a)No supporting information is
bottom trawls (OTB, OTT and PTB) >
provided on
100mm in the North Sea (area IV)
selectivity being difficult to achieve.other
than referring to the morphology of ling.
b) Not clear whether the intention is that
this exemption would apply to similar
fleets from other MS (see reference to the
de minimis volume above). There is
reference to DE vessels operating in the
fishery but no details are provided.
Bycatch of industrial species for demersal a)No supporting documentation other
vessels using TR1, TR2 or BT2 in areas
than that the catches are insignificant in
IIIa and IV)
the demersal fisheries.
b) There is very limited information on
the fleets and fisheries to which this
exemption is to be applied. Catch data is
provided for various DK trawl fleets but
there is no indication on the numbers of
vessels involved. It is not clear whether
this exemption is to apply to the fleets of
other MS. There is also a reference to BT2
fisheries but no information is provided on
catches or fleets involved.
Whiting caught by beam trawls 80-
a)There is only limited evidence to
119mm in the North Sea (area IV)
support the assertions that selectivity
difficult to achieve and handling small
undersized fish involves disproportionate
costs
b) There is very limited information on
the fleets and fisheries to which this
exemption is to be applied. Catch data is
provided for only the NL BT2 fleet. There
is no indication on the numbers of vessels
involved and only limited catch data is
provided. It is not clear whether this
exemption is to apply to the fleets of
other MS.
Whiting and cod caught using bottom
There is no new information to support
trawls (OTB, < 100mm (TR2) in the North widening the scope of the exemption
Sea
North Sea High Survivability
Exemption Shortfalls
High survival exemption for Nephrops
Lack of clarity in the catch and discard
caught by demersal trawls with a cod end
figures used in the request. Regional Group
larger than 80mm (70mm/35mm)
requested to check these figures with UK
High survival exemption for ‘undersized’
Location of sole nursery grounds has again
common sole (sole less than MCRS of
not been provided. Provision of this
24cm) caught by 80-99mm otter trawl
gears in ICES area 4c within 6 nautical
material is a condition in the Delegated Act
miles of coasts, albeit outside identified
and should be supplied .
nursery areas
By-catch of plaice by vessels using nets in
No fishery data provided for the static ‘net’
ICES areas 3a and 4
categories. Data required to complete the
evaluation
High survival exemption for skates and rays Very few landings and discards data
caught by all fishing gears in the North Sea
provided. EWG18-06 recognises these data
(areas 4, 3a and EU waters of 2a)
are sparse and that there are quite a lot of
species, however, Regional Group should
provide whatever they do have to assist
inform the evaluations.
By-catch of plaice by vessels using Danish
Lack of information on the air exposure
seine in ICES areas 3a and 4
times in the commercial fleet. EWG 18-06
considers this is vital for completing the
evaluation
Temporary high survival exemption for
No reasoning for why a three year period is
plaice below MCRS caught by 80-119mm
requested for the ‘tempoarary exemption.
beam trawl gears (BT2) in ICES area 4
By-catch of plaice by vessels using trawl
a) Data on catch and discard quantities
(OTB, PTB) of mesh sizes ≥ 120 mm in ICES
inadequate. Regional Group should try to
areas 3a and 4 in winter
supply catch and discard data for the fleets
concerned.
b) No information on air exposure times in
commercial fleet.
Temporary high survival exemption (2019-
No information on the fishery data for the
2021) for turbot caught by towed gears
fleets affected by this request. Regional
with a cod end larger than 80mm in ICES
Group should provide this information
area 4