NEAFC providing indications of Russian capture quotas in the areas of its jurisdiction for 2009

At its annual meeting in November 2008 the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission has given its recommendations on future multilateral cooperation in North-East Atlantic fisheries, stock conservation and assessment measures, etc. and made allocations for Russia covering mackerel, blue whiting and herring, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to NEAFC official information.

Mackerel

NEAFC convention area

According to the recommendations signed at the meeting, the Contracting Parties have agreed to establish the mackerel TAC 2009 at 57,884 tonnes in areas beyond fisheries jurisdiction of the Contracting Parties in ICES Sub-areas and Divisions IIa, V, VI, VII and XII. This allowable catch is established in order to ensure compatibility with the management measures adopted by the relevant coastal states. In this context, the European Community, the Faroe Islands and Norway informed NEAFC that a total catch limitation of 511,287 tonnes has been adopted for their mackerel fishery in 2009, part of which may be fished in the area defined as above.

The allowable catch for 2009 shall be allocated as follows:

The relevant coastal States have agreed to transfer 2,500 tonnes from their joint quota to the Russian Federation in 2009. This quantity will be reduced to 1,500 for 2010 and there will be no additional quantity available in 2011.

These allocations may also be fished within areas of national jurisdiction of the Contracting Parties.

The allowable catch shall for subsequent years, according to the general stock development, be established on the basis of the relationship between the TAC set by the relevant coastal States and the allowable catch set for areas beyond the fisheries jurisdiction of Contracting Parties for 2009.

Likewise, the quota allocations referred shall for subsequent years be adjusted according to the general stock development in such a manner that the relative relationship between the quotas allocated is maintained (Joint quota of the relevant coastal states 50%, the Russian Federation 47%, Iceland 3%).

The share-out of the joint quota of the relevant coastal States is to be decided between these Parties.

Quotas that are transferred to a Contracting Party to be fished within national waters of another Contracting Party may be fished in the areas defined as above, subject to agreement between the Contracting Parties concerned.

Blue whiting

NEAFC convention area

NEAFC has taken note of the Agreed Record of Conclusion of Fisheries Consultations between the Faroe Islands, the European Community, Iceland and Norway on the Management of Blue Whiting in the North-East Atlantic in 2009 signed in London, 11 November 2008.

By way of the said Agreed Record, the aforementioned Parties have agreed to restrict their fishery on the Blue Whiting Stock in 2009 according to a total catch limitation of 543,043 tonnes.

In order to ensure consistency and compatibility with the said Agreed Record, the Contracting Parties have established an allowable catch limitation of 85,786 tonnes of Blue Whiting for 2009 in waters beyond the areas under national fisheries jurisdiction of the Contracting Parties.

This allowable catch limitation shall be allocated as follows:

(*) Catches taken under these allocations shall be deducted from quotas allocated to Parties to the Agreed Record.

The Contracting Parties agree that the relative shares are fixed for the future management of blue whiting in the NEAFC context. In addition to these fixed shares, the Russian Federation is granted a quantity of 16,237 tonnes for 2009. This quantity will be reduced in 2010 to 8,000 tonnes and in 2011 to 4,000 tonnes. There will be no additional quantity available in 2012.

Quotas that are transferred to a Contracting Party to be fished within national waters of another Contracting Party may be fished in the areas national fisheries jurisdiction, subject to agreement between the Contracting Parties concerned.

Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring

NEAFC regulatory area

NEAFC has taken note of the Agreed Record of Conclusions of Fisheries Consultations on the Management of the Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring in the Northeast Atlantic for 2009 between the European Community, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation signed in London on 13 November 2008.

By way of the said Agreed Record, the aforementioned Parties have agreed on a total allowable catch (TAC) for the Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring of 1,643,000 tonnes in 2009.

In accordance with Article 5 of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in North-East Atlantic Fisheries, the Contracting Parties recommend the following measures for the Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring in 2009:

• a. All fisheries conducted in waters of the Convention Area as defined in Article 1(1) of the Convention, which lie beyond the waters under the fisheries jurisdiction of Contracting Parties (the Regulatory Area) shall be within the aforementioned TAC,
• b. The national quotas referred to in Annex I of the said Agreed Record may be fished in the Regulatory Area,
• c. Catches taken by a Contracting Party in the Regulatory Area in accordance with the said Agreed Record shall be deducted from the respective quotas allocated to the Contracting Parties representing a Party to the said Agreed Record.

Only vessels entitled to fly the flag of a NEAFC Contracting Party, having been authorized by its flag State to fish for Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring in the NEAFC Convention Area in accordance with the said Agreed Record, may take part in the fishery.