Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1296 of 28 February 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning an exemption from the application of the landing obligation as regards salmon in the Baltic Sea for the period 2024-2026

This Regulation provides for an exemption from the landing obligation as regards salmon (Salmo salar) caught in the Baltic Sea.

For the purposes of this Regulation, ‘Baltic Sea’ means ICES divisions IIIb, IIIc and IIId.

1 The landing obligation provided for in Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 shall not apply to salmon caught in the Baltic Sea with one of the following devices: (a) all trap nets; with the exception of the following categories: (i) pound nets; (ii) pontoon traps unless they are: fitted with an attached pontoon knotless bag to which salmon is channelled without being lifted above the water surface, or combined with a water hold in the fishing vessel where the salmon is directly placed; the water hold shall be filled with water and be large enough to hold and keep immersed in the water all the salmon coming from the trap; (b) fyke nets.

2 The exemption provided for in paragraph 1 shall, for each Member State concerned, apply to a maximum of 8 % of the total annual catches of salmon in, respectively, ICES subdivisions 22-31 and ICES subdivision 32.

3 When discarding salmon caught with trap nets and fyke nets, the salmon shall be released immediately back into the sea.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 8 May 2024 until 31 December 2026.