Discard sampling of the Dutch and German pelagic freezer fishery operating in European waters in 2011 and 2012

Catches of the European pelagic freezer trawler fleet are regularly sampled by both the Netherlands and Germany through observer programmes. Both programmes together correspond with an annual sampling coverage of around 15% of the total pelagic freezer trawler fleet. This report presents the results of the data collected within both monitoring programmes on board pelagic freezer trawlers in European waters for 2011 and 2012.