Report of the Meating of the Coalfish Working Group

The Memorandum (NC 6/91) by the Norwegian Delegation at the Sixth Meeting of NEAFC 1968 pointed out that when the Commission1 s Recommendation. to increase the minimum mesh-size of trawl nets from 120 mm to 130 mm1 J was put into ·ef'fect the new mesh-size was applied to the whole of NEAFC Region l whereas the previous regulations had applied only to the part of Region 1 north of' 66°N. The effect of the new recommendation was to in­crease the minimum mesh-size from 75 mm to 130 mm in the area of Region 1 between 62 ° N and 66° M. The liforwegian Delegation pointed out that the ad­option of the larger minimum mesh-size raised serious difficulties for a special Norwegian coastal fishery for coalfish. This fishery takes place in the area between 62 ° and 64° M and east of 4e E, which hereafter will be referred to as the "special area".