Brussels, 11/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission adopted a proposal aimed at establishing for the first time, in 2002, the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for certain species of deep-water fish (sharks, Black scabbardfish, Blue Ling, Orange roughly, Tusk, Ling…), species caught in waters beyond the main fishing grounds of the continental shelf. Recent scientific advice has demonstrated that many stocks are over-exploited. The Commission should complete its proposals on catch limits with the presentation, in 2002, of a system of licences that will be the first stage towards implementation of management measures for fishing these fish species.
The Community's accessible fishing possibilities are as follows:
deep sea sharks (Portuguese dogfish, Leafscale gulper shark, birdbeak dogfish, kitefin shark, greater lanternshark, velvety belly, black dogfish, gulper shark, blakcmouth dogfish, mouse catshark, Iceland catshark); 5,460 tonnes (of which 2,881 for France, 1,282 for Portugal and 1,149 for Spain) from West Scotland, to Wwest Portugal, passing through the Channel, the north Sea and the Gulf of Biscay, 1,154 t (for Spain, 44 for France) in the North Azores;
Black scabbardfish: 4,285 t or Portugal in the waters bordering Madeira and under Portuguese sovereignty, 1,047 t (of which 1,010 for France) in Iceland, the Irish Sea, West of Scotland and East of Greenland, 1,551 t (1537 for Portugal) in the Gulf of Biscay and off the coast of Portugal;
Greater Silver smelt: 6,247 t (4,971 for the Netherlands) in Iceland, the Irish Sea and I the Channel and West of Scotland, 1556 t (of which 1,388 for Denmark) in the Baltic and North Sea;
Alfonsinos: 350 t (260 for Portugal) of the Azores;
Tusk: 596 t (383 for France, and 168 for the United Kingdom) in Iceland, West of Scotland, and the Irish Sea and the Channel, 318 t (1322 for the United Kingdom, 91 for Denmark, 62 for France) in the North Sea;
Roundnose Grenadier: 1099 t (1050 for Denmark and the remainder for Sweden) and Skagerrak and Kattegat, 3953 t (3,916 t of which for France) in the area of the Faroes, the West of Scotland and off the coast of Ireland, 2447 t (2304 for Spain) in the Northern Azores and Greenland;
Orange roughy: 1049 t (1019 or France) in the Irish Sea and the Channel;
Blue ling: 3,536 t (2788 for France, 709 for the United Kingdom and 39 for Germany) off the coast of Scotland, the Irish Sea and the Channel, 246 t (147 for Spain, 79 for France) in the Northern Azores;
Ling: 1,027 t (4,113 for France, 4565 for the United Kingdom, 750 for Ireland, 589 for Spain, 191 for Germany) in the Gulf of Biscay, Southern Brittany, off the coast of Scotland and Ireland, 4257 t (3473 for he United Kingdom, 462 for Denmark, 286 for Germany) in the North Sea;
Red seabream: 758 t (577 for France and the rest for Portugal) off the coast of Portugal, 1136 t (1,1116 for Portugal) in the Azores;
Forkbeards: 2411 t (907 for Spain, 582 for France, 741 for the United Kingdom) off Iceland and the Faroes, off the coast of Scotland and Ireland and the Channel.