Real time closures

Since September 1th 2009, the EU has operated a scheme with realtime closures in the Northsea and Skagerrak in areas with presence of juvenile cod, haddock, whiting and saithe.

Information overview

Real time closures in the North Sea and Skagerak

Since September 1st 2009, the EU has operated a scheme with realtime closures in the Northsea and Skagerrak in areas with presence of:

juvenile cod
haddock
whiting
pollock

The present regulation is shown in Commission Regulation (EU) No 724/2010 of 12 August 2010 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of real-time closures of certain fisheries in the North Sea and Skagerrak, and changed in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 783/2011 of 5 August 2011.

Rules for real time closures

The details are as follows:

Closure will be based only on information gathered during inspections at sea
Fish below the following sizes will be regarded as juveniles:

- Cod 35 cm
- Haddock 30 cm
- Whiting 27 cm
- Saithe 35 cm

The trigger level will be 10 % by weight of the total of the four species, calculated from a minimum 200 kg sample. However, if the quantity of cod exceeds 75 % of the total, the trigger level will be 7.5 %
The area will be closed in 21 days
Inside the area may be used:

- Pelagic trawls
- Purse seines
- Driftnets
- Jiggers targeting pelagic species (herring, mackerel and horse mackerel)
- Pots