Order No. 271-A/2018 amending sword fish quota caught with surface longline in Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

This Order amends sword fish quota caught with surface longline in Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Amendments establish the following provisions: by Order of the Director-General of the DGRM, if the utilization of the swordfish quota for the North or South Atlantic Ocean of 5° N, as at 30 September and 31 August of each year, is less than 70%, fishing for this species may be open to vessels licensed to operate in each area with a surface longline and, for vessels registered on the mainland, only to those with an assigned quota set out in Annexes I and II. When swordfish fishing has been opened pursuant to Article 6 (4), it shall be prohibited from 00:00 hours on 20 December of each year (if it has not been reached before the total quota available in the North or South Atlantic Ocean to Portugal). Any swordfish catches taken after the limit or date above referred are prohibited from being retained on board, transhipped, landed, transported, stored, displayed or sold, and unduly caught species shall be immediately returned to the sea. Where swordfish fishing has been opened in accordance with Article 6 (4), catches which have not been landed by 31 December by any vessel shall be counted against the quota thereof for the following year. Annexes specify: Vessels licensed for surface longline fishing in the Atlantic North and South of 5° N.