Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in subareas 1 and 2 (Northeast Arctic)

The new data (landings, survey and CPUE) available for this stock do not change the perception of the stock and give no reason to change the advice from that given last year in 2008. Therefore, the advice for the fishery in 2010 is the same as the advice given in 2008 for the 2009 fishery: The stock has remained at a relatively low size in the last 25 years at catch levels of 15 000 25 000 t. In order to increase the SSB, catches should be kept well below that range.

Catches should be below 13 000 t as advised since 2003; this is the level below which SSB has increased in the past .

Additionally, ICES notes that the evaluation of this stock is uncertain due to age-reading problems and lack of contrast in the data. The age-reading issue is being addressed and should be resolved in the not too distant future. Corrections to the whole time-series are required.