Council Regulation (EC) No. 1568/2005 amending Regulation (EC) No. 850/98 as regards the protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of fishing in certain areas of the Atlantic Ocean.

Certain amendments are hereby laid down to Regulation (EC) No. 850/98, so as to ensure the protection of deep-water coral reefs by extending the restriction on the use of demersal gears in certain areas of the Atlantic Ocean. In particular, paragraph 5 is added to article 30 of that Regulation. This new provision establishes that vessels shall be prohibited from using any gillnet, entangling net or trammel net at depths greater than 200 metres and any bottom trawl or similar towed nets operating in contact with the bottom of the sea in the areas bounded by a line joining the coordinates specified therein.