To protect spawning aggregations of fish, the area is protected from possible increase of fishing pressure, fishing effort on demersal stocks by vessels using towed nets, bottom and mid-water longlines,andbottom-setnetsmustbekeptatits20081evel. When the recommendation entered into force, relevant CPCs were asked to submit to the GFCM Secretariat the lists of authorized vessels fishing in the area at that time and were required to prohibit new vessels from fishing in the FRA so as not to increase the overall fishing effort. No studies of deep-sea ecosystems in the area were available at the time, but the presence of rare deep-water corals such as Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata was considered possible, given their recorded presence in similar areas in the western part of the Gulf of Lion (GFCM, 2008).