You may remember the furore when Recreational Sea Anglers (RSA) found them selves in the firing line for a series off ill thought out proposals intended to bring RSA into the Common Fisheries Policy.

The wheeling and dealing has finally finished regarding the Control regulations. Article 55 (the old Art47 came into affect from January 1.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No…/2009

of

establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance

with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy,

Chapter V

Control of recreational fisheries

Article 55

Recreational fisheries

1. Member States shall ensure that recreational fisheries on their territory and in Community waters are conducted in a manner compatible with the objectives and rules of the Common Fisheries Policy.
2. The marketing of catches from recreational fisheries shall be prohibited.
3. Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 199/2008, Member States shall monitor, on the basis of a sampling plan, the catches of stocks subject to recovery plans by recreational fisheries practised from vessels flying their flag and from third country vessels in waters under their sovereignty or jurisdiction. Fishing from shore shall not be included.
4. The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) shall evaluate the biological impact of recreational fisheries as referred to in paragraph 3. Where a recreational fishery is found to have a significant impact, the Council may decide, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 37 of the Treaty, to submit recreational fisheries as referred to in paragraph 3 to specific management measures such as fishing authorisations and catch declarations.
5. Detailed rules for the application of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 119.

Article 4

Definitions

28) "Recreational fisheries" means non-commercial fishing activities exploiting marine living
aquatic resources for recreation, tourism or sport;

<END>

Stocks currently subject to recovery plans are cod, sole and plaice in the North Sea and hake in the Western Channel.

Discussion of the detailed rules on how these fisheries are to be monitored is expected to start shortly in Brussels.  The Scottish Government will be contacting Scottish organisations to get their views and see how they can best collect the necessary data on catches of recovery stocks.

Related posts:

1. Struan Stevenson to Joe Borg
2. Delete Article 47
3. EC rewrites rules on recreational fishing
4. Update on Article 47
5. The EU’s angling knowledge