The fishery was closed on March 1 this year when the under-10 metre fleet had landed in excess of its allocated cod quota for 2009 of 16.6 tonnes*.
In order to re-open VIId to the English under-10 metre fleet in 2009, around 50 tonnes of further cod quota would have been needed to be swapped in from other nation states, the MFA said.
Neither Belgium, France nor the Netherlands has surplus quota available, and France, which has a large share of the Total Allowable Catch from which the quotas are derived, has already closed this fishery to some of its groups.
It is anticipated that the eastern Channel cod fishery will re-open on January 1 2010 with a new monthly catch limit.
Fishermen who lease in V11d cod quota under conditions of the 2009 10-metre and under leasing scheme will be able to continue to fish.
Some Producer Organisations have indicated they hold some quantities if V11d cod quota which they would be willing to lease to individual under-10 metre licence holders.
*The fleet actually landed more than 50 tonnes of cod from VIId and now this “overfish” has been covered by swapping in VIId cod quota in other nation states.
