31.7.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 203/1 II (Non-legislative acts) REGULATIONS COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 692/2012 of 24 July 2012 amending Regulations (EU) No 43/2012 and (EU) No 44/2012 as regards the protection of the giant manta ray and certain fishing opportunities THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43(3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, fishing mortality on the stocks concerned. Accordingly, it is appropriate to modify the relevant TAC entries so as to make these additional quotas available to Member States engaging in the assessed trials. 4 Atits 8th Annual Meeting that took place from 26 to 30 Whereas: March in Guam (USA), the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) repealed, with immediate effect, its provisions on closed areas for purse-seine (1) By Regulations (EU) No 43/2012 () and (EU) No fisheries of bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna in certain 44/2012 (3, the Council fixed for 2012 fishing oppor- high seas areas. These closed areas were implemented tunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks in Union law by Article 32 of Regulation (EU) No applicable in EU waters and, for EU vessels, in certain 44/2012, which should therefore be repealed. non-EU waters. (2 At the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) of the Convention of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, held (5)  The United Kingdom provided information on cod in Bergen from 20 to 25 November 2011, the giant catches by a group of vessels fishing with bottom manta ray (Manta birostris) was added to the lists of trawls in the Irish Sea and targeting Queen Scallops. protected species in Appendices I and 1I of the On the basis of that information, as assessed by STECF, Convention. Therefore, it is appropriate to provide for it can be established that the cod catches, including the protection of giant manta rays with respect to EU discards, of vessels involved in that activity do not vessels fishing in all waters and non-Union vessels fishing exceed 1,5% of the total catches of that group of in EU waters. vessels. Having moreover regard to the measures in place ensuring the monitoring and control of the o ) ) fishing activities of the group of vessels involved in (3  The possibility of carrying out trials of fully documented that activity and considering that the inclusion of that catch quotas for various stocks in the International group would constitute an administrative burden dispro- Council on the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Area VII portionate to its overall impact on cod stocks, it is has been submitted to the Scientific, Technical and appropriate to exclude the group of vessels fishing with Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) in order to bottom trawls in the Irish Sea and targeting Queen determine the impact of catch quotas on mortality, Scallops from the application of the effort regime laid discards and selective fishing practices in mixed fisheries. down in Chapter Il of Council Regulation (EC) No The trials would be conducted on the stocks of plaice, 1342/2008 of 18 December 2008 establishing a long- anglerfish, megrim and hake, for which an additional 1 % term plan for cod stocks and the fisheries exploiting quota would be available, and on the stock of haddock, those stocks (%). for which an additional 5 % quota would be available. In its response to the Commission's request, STECF expresses support for these trials and sees them as an important step in developing the catch quota management approach_ STECE also notes that Such (6) The TAC for COd in the Kattegat Should be equal to the () ) 0] 0] trials result in a very low risk of increasing overall L 25, 27.1.2012, p. 1. L 25, 27.1.2012, p. 55. Union quota. The relevant figure in Regulation (EU) No 43/2012 should be corrected accordingly. () OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 20.