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The Danish Fisheries Agency has issues notice that fishing vessels will no longer be able to use bottom fishing on the Dogger Bank
The Danish Fisheries Agency has informed fishing vessels that they will no longer be able to use bottom fishing and semi pelagic trawling the Dogger Bank as the UK imposes a ban on such fishing activities in the Marine Protected Area.
The ban came into force yesterday, Monday June 13, 2022, but Danish fishing organisations are concerned with the lack of communication from the UK government concerning information surrounding the ban.
Danish fishing magazine Fiskertitdende reported that “The Danish Fisheries Association and the Danish Pelagic Producers’ Organization have tried to confirm a number of conditions and the conditions under which fishing must now take place, but without result.
“The United Kingdom has not updated the EU licenses on the authorities’ website with the details of the new rules. Thus, it is not entirely clear exactly how the rule is implemented in relation to EU vessels.
“The EU Commission has also promised to work to postpone the date of entry into force, but apparently nothing has come of it.
“Fisheries associations are still pursuing a clarification in the coming days about details and regulatory basis. Until then, it is expected that the ban will be enforced by the UK.”
In a notice released yesterday, the Danish Fisheries Agency entitled ‘British zone of Dogger Bank closes for bottom trawlers from Monday 13 June 2022’ they authority said:
“From midnight on Monday 13 June 2022, the British zone will be closed by Dogger Bank for bottom trawlers. Bottom towing gear is defined as any trawl, seine, scraper and similar gear, including trawls towed at or very close to the seabed and actively moving through the water by one or more fishing vessels, or another type of mechanized system. The definition also includes that part of the gear is designed to operate on or be in contact with the seabed. The ban includes semi-pelagic gear.”
Bottom trailing gear is prohibited in these coordinates:
- 55 ° 11.7013’N 01 ° 36.7388’E; to
- 2 55 ° 29.9112’N 02 ° 54.2228’E; to
- Point 3 55°29.0225’N 03° 15.0202’E; due east to the UK exclusive economic zone boundary; then following this boundary south; to latitude 54˚22.5797’N; then due West to:
- 54 ° 22.5797’N 02 ° 45.7588’E; to
- 54 ° 18.2478’N 02 ° 43.2465’E; to
- 54 ° 16.0012’N 02 ° 31.9277’E; to
- 54 ° 14.3408’N 02 ° 22.6527’E; to
- 54 ° 17.6363’N 02 ° 00.0962’E; to
- 54 ° 29.4375’N 01 ° 16.6388’E; to
- 10 54 ° 49.1315’N 01 ° 08.1282’E; to
- 55°03.5550’N 01° 19.6207’E; and returning to Point 1.