Since September 1th 2009, the EU has operated a scheme with real time closures in the North Sea and Skagerrak in areas with presence of juveniles of:
- Cod
- Haddock
- Whiting
- Saithe
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.
Read the Commission Regulation (EU) of 12 August 2010
Read the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) of 5 August 2011
The details are as follows:
Closure is based only on information gathered during inspections at sea
Fish below the following sizes are regarded as juveniles:
- Cod 35 cm
- Haddock 30 cm
- Whiting 27 cm
- Saithe 35 cm
The trigger level is 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 is 7.5 %
The area will be closed for 21 days
Inside the area may be used:
- Pelagic trawls
- Purse seines
- Drift nets
- Jiggers targeting pelagic species (herring, mackerel and horse mackerel)
- Pots
Gill nets may be used if the mesh size is in accordance with technical regulations applicable in the fisheries for:
- Cod
- Haddock
- Whiting
- Saithe