# Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 of 17 May 2017 laying down criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters and specifications and standardised methods for monitoring and assessment, and repealing Decision 2010/477/EU (Text with EEA relevance), Division: Criteria, including criteria elements, and methodological standards

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

D3C2 and D3C3 are state-based criteria for commercially-exploited fish and shellfish but are shown under Part I for clarity reasons.
D3C3 may not be available for use for the 2018 review of the initial assessment and determination of good environmental status under Regulations 10(2) and 11(4) of the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010.
Criteria elements
Criteria
Methodological standards
Commercially-exploited fish and shellfish.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish through regional or subregional cooperation a list of commercially-exploited fish and shellfish, according to the criteria laid down under ‘specifications’.
D3C1 — Primary:
The Fishing mortality rate of populations of commercially-exploited species is at or below levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Appropriate scientific bodies shall be consulted in accordance with Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
Scale of assessment:
Populations of each species are assessed at ecologically-relevant scales within each region or subregion, as established by appropriate scientific bodies as referred to in Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, based on specified aggregations of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) areas, General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) geographical sub-areas and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) fishing areas for the Macaronesian biogeographic region.
Use of criteria:
The extent to which good environmental status has been achieved shall be expressed for each area assessed as follows:
(a)the populations assessed, the values achieved for each criterion and whether the levels for D3C1 and D3C2 and the threshold values for D3C3 have been achieved, and the overall status of the population on the basis of criteria integration rules jointly agreed by the competent authorities;
(b)the populations of commercially-exploited species in the assessment area which were not assessed.
The outcomes of these population assessments shall also contribute to the assessments under Descriptors 1 and 6, if the species are relevant for assessment of particular species groups and benthic habitat types.
D3C2 — Primary:
The Spawning Stock Biomass of populations of commercially-exploited species are above biomass levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield. Appropriate scientific bodies shall be consulted in accordance with Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
D3C3 — Primary:
The age and size distribution of individuals in the populations of commercially-exploited species is indicative of a healthy population. This shall include a high proportion of old/large individuals and limited adverse effects of exploitation on genetic diversity.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the devolved policy authorities, shall establish threshold values through regional or subregional cooperation for each population of species in accordance with scientific advice obtained pursuant to Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, non-commercially-exploited species (incidental by-catches) as a result of fishing activities, is addressed under criterion D1C1.
Physical disturbance to the seabed, including effects on benthic communities, as a result of fishing activities, are addressed by the criteria under Descriptor 6 (particularly criteria D6C2 and D6C3) and are to be fed into the assessments of benthic habitat types under Descriptors 1 and 6.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/848/annex/part/I/division/2/division/1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-848/annex/part-I/division-2/division-1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.