
Article 1 
This Regulation specifies the details for implementing the landing obligation, provided for in Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, from 1 January 2015 in the north-western waters, as defined in Article 4(2)(c) of that Regulation, in the fisheries set out in the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2 

1. By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the landing obligation shall not apply to catches of mackerel and herring in the purse seine fisheries in ICES area VI, if all of the following conditions are met:
— the catch is released before a certain percentage (set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 below) of the purse seine is closed (‘the point of retrieval’).
— the purse seine gear is fitted with visible buoys clearly marking the limit for the point of retrieval,
— the vessel and the purse seine gear are equipped with an electronic recording and documenting system when, where and extent to which the purse seine has been hauled for all fishing operations.
2. The point of retrieval shall be 80 % closure of the purse seine in fisheries for mackerel and it shall be 90 % closure of the purse seine in fisheries for herring.
3. If the surrounded school consists of a mixture of both species the point of retrieval shall be 80 % closure of the purse seine.
4. It shall be prohibited to release catches of mackerel and herring after the point of retrieval.
5. The surrounded school of fish shall be sampled before its release to estimate the species composition, the fish size composition and the quantity.
Article 3 
By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the following quantities may be discarded:

((a)) for blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), up to a maximum of 7 % in 2015 and 2016, and 6 % in 2017, of the total annual catches in the industrial pelagic trawler fishery targeting that species in ICES zones Vb, VI and VII and processing that species on board to obtain surimi base;
((b)) up to a maximum of 7 % in 2015 and 2016, and 6 % in 2017 for albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) of the total annual catches in the albacore tuna directed fisheries using midwater pair trawls (PTM) in ICES sea areas VII;
((c)) up to a maximum of 3 % in 2015 and 2 % for 2016 of the total annual catches of mackerel (Scomber scombrus), horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.), herring (Clupea harengus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) in the pelagic fishery with pelagic trawlers up to 25 metres in length overall, using mid-water trawl (OTM), targeting mackerel, horse mackerel and herring in ICES zone VIId;
((d)) up to a maximum of 1 % in 2015 and 0,75 % in 2016 of the TAC of boarfish (Caproidae) in the fishery targeting horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) with pelagic freezer trawlers using midwater trawls in ICES zones VI and VII.
Article 4 
Quantities of fish released under the exemption provided for in Article 2 and the results of the sampling required under Article 2(5) shall be reported in the logbook.
Article 5 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2015 until 31 December 2017.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.Done at Brussels, 20 October 2014.
For the Commission
The President
José Manuel BARROSO
ANNEX
1. 

Code Pelagic fishing gear Quota species targeted
OTB Otter trawls — bottom Mackerel, herring, horse mackerel, blue whiting, boarfish, argentine
OTM Otter trawls midwater, other Mackerel, herring, horse mackerel, blue whiting, boarfish, argentine
PTB Pair trawls — bottom (other) Mackerel
PTM Pair trawls — midwater Herring, mackerel
PS Purse seines Mackerel, blue whiting
LMH Handline Mackerel
LTL Trolling Mackerel

2. 

Code Pelagic fishing gear Quota species targeted
LMH Handline Mackerel
LTL Trolling and poles and lines Albacore tuna
PTM Pair trawls — midwater Blue whiting, mackerel, horse mackerel, albacore tuna, boarfish, herring
OTM Otter trawls — midwater Blue whiting, mackerel, horse mackerel, boarfish, herring, albacore tuna
OTB Otter trawls — bottom Herring
PS Purse seines Mackerel, horse mackerel

3. 

Code Pelagic fishing gear Quota species targeted
OTB Otter trawls (not specified) Sprat
GND Driftnets Mackerel, herring
LMH Handlines and polelines Mackerel
OTM Otter trawls — midwater (other) Sprat, horse mackerel, mackerel, herring, boarfish
PTM Pair trawls — midwater (other) Horse mackerel
PS Purse seines Mackerel, horse mackerel

4. 

Code Pelagic fishing gear Quota species targeted
OTM Otter trawls — midwater Herring
PTM Pair trawls — midwater Herring
LMH Handlines Mackerel
LMH Gillnets Herring
