Report of. the Working Group on Fish Stocks at the Faroes

As in former years a full assessment has only been made of .the Plateau stock (Sub-division Vb1). Some data are, however, given on catch rates on the Faroe Bank.(Sub-division Vb2). Tables 3.1, 3.2 and 3.14 show clearly the great changes in landings and fishing effort at the_Faroes from 1973 to 1979 (see also Table 5.1). There have been two changes in legal mesh size during the period, from 105 mm .to 120 mm from 1 January 1974, and from 120 mm to 135 mm from 1 January 1978. A closed area· system has been imposed during the period. No restrictions have been put on landings from Faroese vessels in 1980, but there are certain areas closed to trawlers and gill-netters, especially on the cod spawning grounds. EEC.vessels have a quota for cod in the total Faroe area of 1 800 tonnes in 1980. The Faroe Bank has been closed to trawling within the 200 m depth contour in 1979 and will be opened for a period for trawlers in 1980. Besides this, the only permitted foreign catch of cod in the Faroe area is a moderate amount of by-catch in the Norwegian fixed· gear fishery.