According to the report the information notice to the fishing industry on request of the Member States concerned by the Joint Deployment Plan for the North Sea Commission Regulation (EC) No. 517/2008 published on 11 June 2008 introduces the use of a new electronic tool for mesh size measurement which will replace the use of the ‘classic’ mesh gauge from 1st September 2009 onwards.

It is told that from now onwards the fisheries inspectors of all Member States will use the new electronic mesh gauge (omega gauge) when measuring the mesh size of fishing gear in the course of inspections. In the past years, experience has shown that the ‘classic’ mesh gauge has not always been used in a consequent and harmonised way, using forces that did not allow an objective measurement of the actual mesh size of fishing gear.

It is informed that the use of manual force implies that the measurement of the mesh size is not free of human influence. It has been demonstrated in practice that the use of manual force may generate different measurement results between inspectors. As regards the introduction of the electronic mesh gauge and the enforcement of minimum mesh size requirements during the first four months following 1 September 2009, inspection authorities of the Member States will follow a common approach for inspections of mesh size carried out in that period.