# Commission Decision (EU) 2017/451 of 14 March 2017 approving, on behalf of the European Union, certain amendments to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Annex

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

Protocol, Article 2, paragraphs:
1.. The annual financial contribution for the access by European Union vessels to the Mauritanian fishing zone referred to in Article 7 of the Agreement is set at EUR fifty-seven million, five-hundred thousand (57 500 000). This paragraph shall apply subject to Articles 5 to 10 and Article 16 of this Protocol.
3.. The total allowable catches (categories 1, 2, 2a, 3, 6, 7 and 8) and the reference tonnages (categories 4 and 5) are set out in the datasheets contained in Annex 1 to this Protocol. They are established on the basis of the calendar year (1 January-31 December of the year concerned). If the first and the last period of the application of the Protocol do not correspond to a calendar year, the total allowable catches shall be fixed pro rata temporis and taking account, for each fishing category, of trends in terms of the distribution of catches throughout the year.
7.. For fishing categories 4 and 5, if catches made by tuna vessels from the European Union in the Mauritanian fishing zone exceed the reference tonnage stipulated for each of these categories, the financial contribution of EUR fifty-seven million, five-hundred thousand (57 500 000) shall be increased, for each additional tonne caught, by the amount of the fee stated in the relevant datasheets for the year in question. However, the amount paid by the European Union in respect of the overrun must not exceed an amount equivalent to twice the corresponding reference tonnage. If the quantities of catches made by European Union vessels are more than twice the corresponding reference tonnage, the amount due in respect of the quantity exceeding that limit shall be paid the following year.
Table of fishing categories referred to in Article 1(1):
This figure may be exceeded by a 10 % margin without any impact on the financial contribution paid by the European Union for access.
If these fishing opportunities are utilised, they shall be deducted from the total allowable catch provided for in category 6.
Fishing categories
Total allowable catches and reference tonnage
1
Vessels fishing for crustaceans other than spiny lobster and crab
5 000 tonnes
2
Black hake (non-freezer) trawlers and bottom longliners
6 000 tonnes
2a
Black hake (freezer) trawlers:
Black hake 3 500 tonnes
Squid 1 450 tonnes
Cuttlefish 600 tonnes
3
Vessels fishing for demersal species other than black hake with gear other than trawls
3 000 tonnes
4
Tuna seiners
12 500 tonnes
(Reference tonnage)
5
Pole-and-line tuna vessels and surface longliners
7 500 tonnes
(Reference tonnage)
6
Pelagic freezer trawlers
225 000 tonnes
7
Non-freezer pelagic vessels
15 000 tonnes
8
Cephalopods
[pm] tonnes
Annex, Appendix 1 ‘Datasheets’, new datasheet 2a:
FISHING CATEGORY 2a:BLACK HAKE (FREEZER) TRAWLERS:
1. Fishing zone
(a) North of latitude 19° 15′ 60″N: west of the line joining the following points:
20° 46′ 30″N
17° 03′ 00″W
20° 36′ 00″N
17° 11′ 00″W
20° 36′ 00″N
17° 36′ 00″W
20° 03′ 00″N
17° 36′ 00″W
19° 45′ 70″N
17° 03′ 00″W
19° 29′ 00″N
16° 51′ 50″W
19° 15′ 60″N
16° 51′ 50″W
19° 15′ 60″N
16° 49′ 60″W
(b) South of latitude 19° 15′ 60″N as far as latitude 17° 50′ 00″N: west of the 18-nautical-mile line from the low-water mark;
(c) South of latitude 17° 50′ 00″N: west of the 12-nautical-mile line from the low-water mark.
In the case of areas calculated on the basis of the low-water mark, the Joint Committee may replace the lines for delimiting zones with a series of geographical coordinates.
Authorised gear
Bottom trawl for hake.
doubling of the cod-end is prohibited.
doubling of the twine forming the cod-end is prohibited.
Minimum authorised mesh
70 mm (trawl)
Minimum Size
For fish, the minimum size is to be measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the caudal fin (total length) (see Appendix 7)
The Joint Committee may determine the minimum size for species not listed above.
By-catches
Authorised
Not authorised
25 % of demersal species (other than black hake)
Cephalopods (other than squid and cuttlefish) and crustaceans
The Joint Committee may determine by-catch rates for species not listed above.
Fishing opportunities/fees
Period
Year
Total allowable catch (tonnes):
3 500
Black hake (main target species)
1 450
squid (secondary target species)
600
cuttlefish (secondary target species)
Fee
70 EUR/t for black hake
575 EUR/t for squid
250 EUR/t for cuttlefish
90 EUR/t for by-catch
The fee shall be calculated at the end of each period of three months in which the vessel is authorised to fish, taking into account the catches made during that period.
The licence shall be granted on advance payment of EUR 1 000 per vessel, to be deducted from the total amount of the fee; the advance payment shall be made at the beginning of each three-month period in which the vessel is authorised to fish.
The number of vessels authorised at the same time shall not exceed six.
Biological rest periods
Where appropriate, the Joint Committee shall determine a biological recovery period based on the scientific opinion of the Joint Scientific Committee.
Scientific Observers
By way of derogation from the rule set out in point 2 of Chapter X of the Annex, the vessels shall take on board a Mauritanian scientific observer on each trip.
Comments
The fees shall be fixed for the entire period of application of the Protocol.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/451/annex (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-451/annex
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.