Greenland request on studies needed to validate the origin of the EastGreenland adult Sebastes mentella stock

In 2009, the ICES evaluation of stock structure of S.mentella stocks in the Irminger Sea and in the Norwegian Sea concluded to the existence of three distinct biological stocks. This conclusion was based on biological samples from the fishery and from surveys and was mainly based on genetic structure seen in these samples. The adult East Greenland demersal S.mentella component was not covered by the samples collected, and consequently, demersal adult S.mentella on the East Greenland shelf has not been assigned to any of the three identified stocks. As a result and contrary to previous years, there is no ICES catch advice on the adult component of demersal S.mentella in East Greenland. Therefore, a need to investigate the affinity of the adult S. mentella in this region exists (ICES, 2009).
Greenland therefore requested ICES to provide: Advice on the type of investigation and sampling that is required in order to be able to relate the adult stock of S.mentella on the East Greenland shelf to the three identified neighbouring stocks of S.mentella i.e. the Shallow pelagic S.mentella, the Deep pelagic S.mentella and the Iceland slope S.mentella.