Review of the EU legislation for 13/01/2025

Three recent EU fisheries regulations modify fishing permissions in Northern European waters:

• French vessels regain permission to fish for haddock in Norwegian waters (areas 1 and 2) from November 8, 2024, reversing a previous ban. This reopening is possible because France still has available quota for haddock in these areas.
• Ireland faces a complete ban on herring fishing in areas 6b, 6aN, and international waters of 5b starting December 13, 2024, after exhausting its 2024 quota. The prohibition covers all herring-related fishing activities, though catches made before the closing date can still be processed and landed. Any unintended catches must be recorded and counted against quotas.
• France receives permission to resume cod fishing in Norwegian waters (areas 1 and 2) from November 7, 2024, following a closure in July 2024. This reopening is granted because France maintains available quota for cod in these waters.

All three regulations are binding and directly applicable across all EU Member States.

Review of each of legal acts published today:

This Regulation reopens the fishery for haddock in Norwegian waters (areas 1 and 2) for vessels flying the flag of France. The act cancels the previous fishing prohibition established by Regulation (EU) 2024/2813 and allows French vessels to resume haddock fishing operations in the specified areas from November 8, 2024.The Regulation consists of two main articles and an annex. Article 1 establishes the reopening of the fishery and repeals the previous prohibition, while Article 2 sets the entry into force and application dates. The Annex provides specific technical details about the reopening, including the Member State, stock specifications, species, and relevant dates.Key provisions of the act include:
– The reopening is based on information from French authorities indicating that quota is still available for the stock
– The measure takes retroactive effect from November 8, 2024
– The fishing opportunity applies specifically to haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in Norwegian waters of areas 1 and 2
– The regulation is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States

This Commission Regulation establishes a fisheries closure for herring in specific maritime areas (6b, 6aN, and international waters of 5b) for vessels flying the flag of Ireland. The regulation is adopted due to the exhaustion of Ireland’s fishing quota for herring in these areas for 2024. It implements specific prohibitions and restrictions on fishing activities in the affected zones.The regulation consists of three main articles and an annex. Article 1 declares the exhaustion of the Irish fishing quota, Article 2 establishes specific prohibitions and requirements for fishing vessels, and Article 3 deals with the entry into force. The annex provides specific details about the closure, including the affected areas, species, and closing date.Key provisions include:
– Complete prohibition of fishing for herring by Irish vessels in the specified areas from December 13, 2024
– Ban on searching for fish, shooting, setting, or hauling fishing gear for herring in these areas
– Permission to process and land catches taken prior to the closing date
– Requirement to record and count unintended catches against quotas
– Obligation to bring and retain unintended catches on board

This Regulation reopens the fishery for cod in Norwegian waters (areas 1 and 2) for vessels flying the flag of France, which was previously closed in July 2024. The reopening is based on the information that France still has an available quota for cod fishing in these waters.The Regulation consists of two main articles and an annex. Article 1 establishes the reopening of the fishery and repeals the previous closure regulation. Article 2 sets the entry into force and retroactive application from November 7, 2024. The Annex provides specific details about the reopening, including the stock code, species (Cod – Gadus morhua), fishing zone, closing date, and reopening date.Key provisions of the act include:
– The fishery reopening applies specifically to French vessels
– The reopening is retroactively effective from November 7, 2024
– The fishing is permitted in Norwegian waters zones 1 and 2
– The regulation applies to cod (Gadus morhua) fishing only
– The reopening is based on the availability of remaining quota for France