Article 9Specific technical measures in the Skagerrak
1.
The carrying on board or the use of any trawl, Danish seine, beam trawl or similar towed net having a mesh size of less than 120 mm shall be prohibited in the Skagerrak.
2.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the following trawls may be used:
(a)
trawls with a cod end of a mesh size of at least 90 mm, provided they are equipped with a seltra panel or a sorting grid with no more than 35 mm bar spacing;
(b)
trawls with a cod end of at least 70 mm mesh size (square mesh) equipped with a sorting grid with no more than 35 mm bar spacing;
(c)
trawls of minimum mesh sizes of less than 70 mm when fishing for pelagic or industrial species, provided the catch contains more than 80 % of one or more pelagic or industrial species;
(d)
trawls with a cod end of at least 35 mm mesh size when fishing for Northern prawn, provided the trawl is equipped with a sorting grid with a maximum bar spacing of 19 mm.
3.
A fish retention device may be used when fishing for Northern prawn in accordance with paragraph 2(d), provided there are adequate fishing opportunities to cover by-catch and that the retention device is:
(a)
constructed with a top panel of a minimum mesh size of 120 mm square mesh;
(b)
at least 3 metres long; and
(c)
at least as wide as the width of the sorting grid.