Council Regulation (EC) No 812/2000 of 17 April 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean and Regulation (EC) No 850/98 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms
Official Journal L 100 , 20/04/2000 P. 0003 - 0004
Council Regulation (EC) No 812/2000
of 17 April 2000
amending Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 laying down certain technical measures for
the conservation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean and Regulation (EC)
No 850/98 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures
for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and, in
particular, Article 37 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(2),
Whereas:
(1) According to Article 2 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 of the Council
of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for fisheries and
aquaculture(3), the general objectives of the common fisheries policy are to
protect and conserve living marine aquatic resources.
(2) The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT),
at its 11th extraordinary session held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, from 16
to 23 November 1998, recommended certain specific rules on seasonal closures and
on minimum landing sizes of bluefin tuna. These rules are drawn up on scientific
advice. This recommendation entered into force on 21 June 1999.
(3) The Community is a member of ICCAT. It is therefore necessary to implement
those recommendations, in order to avoid an excessive fishing pressure on
bluefin tuna.
(4) Regulation (EC) No 1626/94(4) and Regulation (EC) No 850/98(5) set out
minimum sizes for bluefin tuna in, respectively, the Mediterranean Sea and in
regions 1 to 5, except Skagerrak and Kattegat, of the Atlantic and Indian
Oceans. Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 set out seasonal closures in the
Mediterranean Sea. These Regulations should consequently be amended,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 is amended as follows:
1. In Article 3a, paragraph 1 shall be replaced by the following text:
"1. It shall be forbidden to take bluefin tuna with an encircling net:
- for vessels whose exclusive or predominant area of operation is the Adriatic,
from 1 to 31 May in the whole Mediterrean Sea and from 16 July to 15 August in
the Mediterranean Sea excluding the Adriatic,
- for vessels whose exclusive or predominant area of operation is the
Mediterranean, excluding the Adriatic, from 16 July to 15 August in the whole
Mediterranean Sea and from 1 to 31 May in the Adriatic.
Member States shall ensure that all vessels flying their flag or registered in
them comply with this paragraph.
For the purposes of this Regulation, the southern limit of the Adriatic Sea
shall be a line drawn between the Albanian-Greek border and Cape Santa Maria di
Leuca."
2. In Annex IV the entry relating to Thunnus thynnus shall be replaced by the
following:
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Article 2
In Annex XII to Regulation (EC) No 850/98 the entry relating to bluefin tuna and
footnote 5 shall be replaced by the following:
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Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force the day following its publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all
Member States.
Done at Luxembourg, 17 April 2000.
For the Council
The President
L. Capoulas Santos
(1) Opinion delivered on 2 March 2000 (not yet published in the Official
Journal).
(2) OJ C 75, 15.3.2000, p. 13.
(3) OJ L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
1181/98 (OJ L 164, 9.6.1998, p. 1).
(4) OJ L 171, 6.7.1994, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
1448/1999 (OJ L 167, 2.7.1999, p. 7).
(5) OJ L 125, 27.4.1998, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
2723/1999 (OJ L 328, 22.12.1999, p. 9).