{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-43/article-76",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-43/article-76.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2009/43",
  "legislation_title": "Council Regulation (EC) No 43/2009 of 16 January 2009 fixing for 2009 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-43",
  "path": "article/76",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "76",
  "heading": "Scientific Observers",
  "text": "1. In addition to the requirement set out in Article 70, Member States shall ensure that vessels flying their flag and conducting exploratory fisheries in accordance with Article 74 have a scientific observer on board. Observers shall collect data in accordance with a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem Data Collection Protocol.\n2. The Observers collecting data in accordance with the Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem Data Collection Protocol referred to in paragraph 1 shall:\n(a) monitor any set for evidence of VMEs and the presence of vulnerable marine species;\n(b) record the following information for identification of VMEs: vessel name, gear type, date, position (latitude/longitude), depth, species code, trip-number, set-number, and name of the observer on datasheets;\n(c) collect representative biological samples from the entire catch. Biological samples shall be collected and frozen when requested by the scientific authority in a flag Member State or by the Commission;\n(d) transmit samples to the scientific authority of a flag Member State at the end of the fishing trip.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2009/43/article/76",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:51:42.098169+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}