Article 2 Eel Management Plans: objectives and contentF10

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The objective of each Eel Management Plan F4is to reduce anthropogenic mortalities so as to permit with high probability the escapement to the sea of at least 40 % of the silver eel biomass relative to the best estimate of escapement that would have existed if no anthropogenic influences had impacted the stock. F5This objective is a long term objective.

The target level of escapement shall be determined, taking into account the data available for each eel river basin, in one or more of the following three ways:

Each Eel Management Plan shall contain a description and an analysis of the present situation of the eel population in the eel river basin and relate it to the target level of escapement laid down in paragraph 4.

Each Eel Management Plan shall include measures to attain, monitor and verify the objective set out in paragraph 4. F6A fisheries administration may define the means depending on local and regional conditions.

An Eel Management Plan may contain, but is not limited to, the following measures:

• reducing commercial fishing activity,

• restricting recreational fishing,

• restocking measures,

• structural measures to make rivers passable and improve river habitats, together with other environmental measures,

• transportation of silver eel from inland waters to waters from which they can escape freely to the Sargasso Sea,

• combating predators,

• temporary switching-off of hydro-electric power turbines,

• measures related to aquaculture.

Each Eel Management Plan shall contain a time schedule for the attainment of the target level of escapement laid down in paragraph 4, following a gradual approach and depending on an expected recruitment level; it shall include measures that will be applied as of the first year of application of the Eel Management Plan.

F7A fisheries administration must ensure that appropriate measures are implemented as soon as possible to reduce the eel mortality caused by factors outside the fishery, including hydroelectric turbines, pumps or predators, unless this is not necessary to attain the objective of the plan.

Each Eel Management Plan shall include a description of the control and enforcement measures which will apply in waters other than F8United Kingdom waters in accordance with Article 10.

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