14.4.1.3.2 Fishing Vessel Licenses and Vessel Capacity Units Fishing vessels registered in the EU can only legally fish commercially and land
39.
catches for profit if the vessel holds a valid fishing license authorising it to fish in specific sea areas and target specific species.
40. The current licensing system is also designed to prevent increases in fleet numbers
and catching capacities through the use of vessel capacity units (VCUs). The aim is to prevent increases in the catching capacities of Member State fleets. New vessels can only enter a fleet when an equivalent vessel has been removed.
41. To further reduce fishing capacity, a number of decommissioning schemes have
been introduced over the past 20 years with significant numbers of both UK and other EU Member State’s vessels accepting the proposal. The decommissioning schemes in 2001 / 2002 and 2003 / 2004 removed 165 vessels and their licences from the UK demersal fleet.
14.4.1.3.3Days at Sea Restrictions In addition to quota restrictions, over-10m vessels are subject to days at sea
42.
restrictions as part of the EC policy of reducing fishing effort in EU waters. The regulation controlling days at sea (Annex V, EU Regulation 2287/2003) is somewhat complex, relating to species targeted, gear type, mesh size and elected management periods. In essence, vessels using demersal whitefish gears can be restricted to as little as equivalent of 13 to 14 days a month. Pelagic vessel and static gear vessels are currently not effort restricted. As with the system of quotas, the review of the CFP may alter the current effort restrictions.
14.4.1.3.4 Sea Area Restrictions Sea area closures and restrictions were introduced in 2008 and are administered by
43.
the MMO. These include Real Time Closures (RTCs) and Seasonal Closures which, for example, support the aims of the cod recovery plan by reducing cod mortality through the reduction of juvenile discards and by avoiding spawning aggregations.
44. Prohibited gears in RTCs and seasonal closed areas include demersal trawls and
seines, beam trawls, gill and trammel nets and longlines. Scallop dredges, pots, pelagic gears, driftnets and purse seines are however permitted within RTCs and seasonal closed areas.
45. Annual seasonal cod closures are in operation in two areas to the east and south
east of the East Anglia THREE windfarm site, outside the East Anglia Zone boundary. These closures are enforced between 1st of January and 30th April each year.
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
Chapter 14 Commercial Fisheries Page 17
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