Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/117 of 5 September 2016 establishing fisheries conservation measures for the protection of the marine environment in the Baltic Sea and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1778

1 This Regulation establishes fisheries conservation measures necessary for compliance with obligations under Article 6 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

2 This Regulation applies to fishing vessels in the Baltic Sea.

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply in addition to those laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 and Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 : (a) ‘bottom contacting gear’ means any of the following gear: bottom trawl, beam trawl, bottom otter trawl, otter twin trawl, bottom pair trawl, nephrops trawl, shrimp trawl, seine net, Danish anchor seine, Scottish seine, boat or vessel seine and dredge; (b) ‘restricted areas’ mean the geographical areas enclosed by sequentially joining with rhumb lines the positions listed in the Annex to this Regulation, which shall be measured according to the WGS84 coordinate system. (c) ‘Member States concerned’ means Denmark, Germany and Sweden.

1 It shall be prohibited to carry out any fishing activity with bottom contacting gear in the restricted areas.

2 Fishing vessels carrying on board any bottom contacting gear may carry out fishing activities in the restricted areas with gears other than those gears, provided that the bottom contacting gears be lashed and stowed in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article 47 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

Fishing vessels carrying on board any bottom contacting gear may transit across the restricted areas, provided that the bottom contacting gears be lashed and stowed in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article 47 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

1 Member States concerned shall assess the implementation of the measures set out in Article 3 and 4 by 30 June 2017, including the control of compliance with the fishing prohibitions.

2 Member States concerned shall submit a summary report of the review to the Commission by 31 July 2017.

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1778 is repealed. References to the repealed Regulation shall be construed as references to this Regulation and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 as appropriate.

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