PROPOSAL TO MOVE THE START DATE OF THE FISHERY FOR DISSOSTICHUS ELEGINOIDES IN SUBAREA 48.3

For operational reasons it would be more convenient to extend the 48.3 fishing season into April rather than into September. A proposal is developed to experimentally allow incremental extensions into April, accompanied by a bird bycatch limit, starting with an allowance for all vessels having full compliance with CM 25-02 in 2009 to fish from 26 April 2010 in the 2009/2010 fishing season. Vessels catching 3 birds in this period would have to stop fishing until 1 May 2010.