This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Access to information regarding total allowable catches (TACs) of EU fish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic discussed and adopted on 17 and 18 December 2018, and exemptions from the landing obligation'.




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