Conservation of fishery resources: cod stocks in the Irish Sea

PURPOSE : to amend Regulation 2549/2000/EC establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stock of cod in the Irish Sea (ICES Division VIIa). CONTENT : the conditions laid down in regulation 2549/2000/EC of 17 November 2000 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stock of cod in the Irish Sea (ICES Division VIIa) are intended to ensure that the selectivity of fishing gears deployed in the Irish Sea are such that few young cod are captured. Within the conditions laid down in Regulation 2549/2000/EC it is stipulated in Article 2(1) that it is prohibited to use any demersal towed net other than beam trawl incorporating a cod-end and/or extension piece of which the thickness of the twine exceeds 6mm. However, recent scientific advice concurs with the opinion of fishermen that cod-end and/or extension piece constructed of double twine of thickness no more than 4 mm is technically equivalent to a cod-end and/or extension piece as currently defined. There is a requirement on the part of some fishermen to deploy double-twine cod-ends. Furthermore, the text of Article 3 of the current regulation refers to conditions which were relevant only during 2000 and therefore may be replaced with the text which defines the required amendment. Regulation 2549/2000/EC should, therefore, be modified accordingly. �