Commission Regulation (EC) No 898/2007

of 27 July 2007

amending Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 as regards the catch limits for the stock of sprat in EC waters of ICES zones IIa and IV

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 of 21 December 2006 fixing for 2007 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required [1], and in particular Article 5(5) thereof:

Whereas:

(1) Preliminary catch limits for sprat in EC waters of ICES zones IIa and IV are laid down in Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007.

(2) Pursuant to Article 5(5) of that Regulation, the Commission may revise the catch limits in the light of scientific information collected during the first half of 2007.

(3) Taking into account information collected during the first half of 2007, the catch limits for sprat in the zones concerned should be adjusted.

(4) Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5) The sprat is a short-lived species, therefore the catch limitations should be implemented as soon as possible, in order to avoid delays which could lead to over-fishing of the stock.

(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 27 July 2007.

For the Commission

Joe Borg

Member of the Commission

[1] OJ L 15, 20.1.2007, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 754/2007 (OJ L 172, 30.6.2007, p. 26).

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ANNEX

Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 is amended as follows:

The entry concerning the stock of sprat in EC waters of ICES zones IIa and IV is replaced by the following:

"SpeciesSpratSprattus sprattus | ZoneEC waters of IIa and IVSPR/2AC4-C |

Belgium | 1917 | Precautionary TAC Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 applies. Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 does not apply. Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 applies. |

Denmark | 151705 |

Germany | 1917 |

France | 1917 |

The Netherlands | 1917 |

Sweden | 1330 [1] |

United Kingdom | 6325 |

EC | 167028 |

Norway | 18812 [2] |

Faroe Islands | 9160 [3] [4] [5] |

TAC | 195000 |

[1] Including sandeel.

[2] May only be fished in EC waters of ICES zone IV.

[3] This quantity may be fished in ICES zone IV and zone VIa North of 56掳 30‘�N. Any by-catch of blue whiting shall be counted against the blue whiting quota established for ICES zones VIa, VIb and VII.

[4] 1832 tonnes can be caught as herring in fisheries using nets with mesh sizes less than 32 mm. If the quota of 1832 tonnes of herring is exhausted then all fisheries using nets with mesh sizes less than 32 mm is prohibited.

[5] Catches taken in the monitoring fisheries, corresponding to 2 % of the effort and up to a maximum of 2500 tonnes can be caught as sandeel."

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