21.8.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 223/1 II (Non-legislative acts) REGULATIONS COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 793/2013 of 20 August 2013 establishing measures in respect of the Faeroe Islands to ensure the conservation of the Atlanto- Scandian herring stock (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, (3)  Since 2007, the arrangements agreed during the coastal States’ consultations included definitive rules on the sharing of the total allowable catch and a commitment to maintain the relative stability of the shares for future years. The shares agreed for the stock of Atlanto- Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Scandian herring were 5,16 % for the Faeroe Islands, Union, 14,51 % for Iceland, 6,51 % for the Union, 61 % for Norway and 12,82% for the Russian Federation. Furthermore, the coastal states also had a long-standing agreement to review and revise the commonly agreed ) ) management arrangements only jointly, on the basis of Having regarq to Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 of the new scientific advice and by a given date. European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on certain measures for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fish- ing (1), and in particular Article 4 thereof, (4)  To facilitate the setting of total allowable catches, the coastal States had agreed and implemented, on the basis of the available scientific knowledge, a long-term management plan consistent with the precautionary Whereas: approach, intended to keep harvesting within safe biological limits and designed to ensure sustainable fisheries. (1) The stock of Atlanto-Scandian herring (also referred to as Norwegian spring-spawning herring) is the largest herring . . . stock of the world. It produced catches of the order of 1 ()  This long-term management plan alme“_ at avoiding that s s L the stock would fall below the biomass level of million to 2 million tonnes. However, heavy exploitation . s 2 500 000 tonnes and to make all efforts to maintain due to overfishing led the stock to collapse and to the ; X . . it above 5000 000 tonnes, the level believed to produce cessation of all fisheries for more than two decades . . ) ) . . maximum sustainable yield. This was to be done by between the early 1970s and the mid 1990s, with very - S . . for the fl h loited th restricting harvesting in a manner consistent with a severe consequences for the fleets that exploited that e ) . stock fishing mortality of 0,125. It was agreed that, if the ’ biomass level fell below the level of 5000 000 tonnes, the fishing mortality should be reduced in order to ensure a rapid recovery of the stock. (20 The stock of Atlanto-Scandian herring was managed, since the recovery of the stock and the re-opening of the fishery in 1996, following consultations among the (6)  In September 2012 the International Council for the five parties whose economic exclusive zone (EEZ) is visited by this fish during its migration cycle: the Russian Federation, Norway, the Faeroe Islands, Iceland and the European Union (hereinafter ‘the coastal States). () OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, p. 34. Exploration of the Seas (ICES) recommended, in accordance with the precautionary approach set out in the management plan, that the total allowable catch (TAQ) for the five coastal States should be no more than 619 000 tonnes in 2013, which represents a decrease of 26 % compared to the TAC fixed for 2012.