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.