Council Regulation (EC) No 520/2007Show full title

TITLE I INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS

Article 1 Object

This Regulation lays down technical conservation measures applicable to the capture and landing of certain stocks of highly migratory species as referred to in Annex I and to the capture of by-catches.

Article 2 Scope

Without prejudice to Article 9, this Regulation shall apply to vessels flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Community, hereinafter ‘Community fishing vessels’.

Article 3 Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation:

1.

‘Highly migratory species’ means the species listed in Annex I.

2.

‘Tunas and related species covered by ICCAT’ means the species listed in Annex II.

3.

‘Dolphin mortality limit’ means the limit defined in Article V of the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme(1).

4.

‘Leisure fisheries’ means fishing activities exploiting living aquatic resources for recreation or sport.

5.

‘Encircling nets’ means nets which catch fish by surrounding them both from the sides and from below; they may or may not be equipped with a purse line.

6.

‘Purse seines’ means any encircling net the bottom of which is drawn together by means of a purse line at the bottom of the net, which passes through a series of rings along the groundrope, enabling the net to be pursed and closed. Purse seines may be used to catch small pelagic species, large pelagic species or demersal species.

7.

‘Longlines’ means a fishing gear which comprises a main line carrying numerous hooks on branch lines (snoods) of variable length and spacing depending on the target species. It may be deployed either vertically or horizontally to the sea surface; it may be set either at or near the bottom (bottom-set longline) or drifting in midwater or near the surface (surface longline).

8.

‘Hook’ means a bent, sharpened piece of steel wire usually with barb. The point of a hook may be either straight or even reversed and curved. The shank can be of varying length and form and its cross section can be round (regular) or flattened (forged). The total length of a hook shall be measured as the maximum overall length of the shank from the tip of the hook which serves for fastening the line and is usually shaped as an eye, to the apex of the bend. The width of a hook shall be measured as the greatest horizontal distance from the external part of the shank to the external part of the barb.

9.

‘Fish-aggregating devices (FADs)’ means any equipment floating on the sea surface and with the objective of attracting fish.

10.

‘Pole and line tuna vessel’ means vessels equiped for catching tuna by pole and line.

Article 4 Areas

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions of maritime waters shall apply:

1.

Area 1

all waters of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas included in the ICCAT Convention area as specified in Article 1 of that Convention;

2.

Area 2

all waters of the Indian Ocean covered by the Agreement for the establishment of the IOTC as defined in Article 2 thereof;

3.

Area 3

all waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean as defined in Article 3 of the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme;

4.

Area 4

all waters of the Eastern and Central Pacific Ocean as defined in Article 3 of the WCPFC Convention.

(1)

OJ L 348, 30.12.2005, p. 28.