Conservation of fishery resources: cod and hake, stock recovery

Following recent scientific advice, the Commission has amended is proposal. The amendments concern: - adaptation of the targets for recovery : in the light of recent ICES discussions, the target value for recovery of the Northern Hake stock has been revised to 143000 tonnes; - adaptation of the procedure for setting total allowable catches : it is now proposed that the normal recovery strategy should apply when the stocks concerned have quantities of mature fish exceeding the limit biomass values identified by scientific advice. Stocks whose adult populations are below those levels are subject to low levels of fishing mortality identified in a new article; - revision of the system for fishing effort limitation : a simplified system of fishing effort is now proposed. They lay down the data to be collected by Member States and a method of allocation of fishing effort. This system would impose a standardised reduction of fishing effort on each segment of the fleet which catches the fish stock concerned. The values are identified for 2003, and will be adjusted in subsequent years in accordance with scientific advice; - modifications of control provisions : the previous proposals concerning the use of VMS have been removed, as they will be addressed in the new Framework Regulation to be adopted as part of CFP reform; - removal of structural measures proposals : these proposals have also been removed, as they will be addressed in the general CFP reform debate.�