ICES Advice 2006, Book 1 - Introduction, Overviews and Special Requests

1 INTRODUCTION, OVERVIEW AND SPECIAL REQUESTS 1

1.1 About ICES 1

1.2 General guidelines for the ICES advice 2

1.2.1 Precautionary approach 2

1.2.2 Maximum sustainable yield 5

1.2.3 Ecosystem approach 5

1.2.4 European Marine Strategy 6

1.3 Structure of the Report 6

1.3.1 A regional orientation 6

1.3.2 Ecosystem overviews 7

1.3.3 Human impacts on the ecosystem 8

1.3.4 Assessment and advice 8

1.3.5 Single stock summaries 8

1.4 Basis for the advice 8

1.4.1 Data used and data quality 8

1.4.2 Assessing the status of fish stocks 9

1.4.3 Evaluations of management plans 10

1.4.4 Three layers in providing fisheries advice 10

1.4.4.1 Single stock exploitation boundaries 10

1.4.4.2 Mixed fisheries advice 10

1.4.4.3 Ecosystem aspects 11

1.4.5 Quality of the advice 11

1.5 Answers to non-Ecoregion specific Special Requests 12

1.5.1 EC DG Fish 12

1.5.1.1 Status of fish stocks managed by the Community in the North-East Atlantic 12

1.5.1.2 Answer to Special request on pulse trawl electrical fishing gear 13

1.5.2 HELCOM 20

1.5.3 NASCO 20

1.5.4 NEAFC 20

1.5.5 OSPAR 21

1.5.5.1 OSPAR request regarding additional CBs and PAHs 21

1.5.5.2 EcoQO for changes in zoobenthos in relation to long-term eutrophication 23

1.5.5.3 Further development of the EcoQ on plastic particles in stomachs of seabirds 31

1.5.5.4 Quality assurance of biological measurements in the Northeast Atlantic 34

1.5.5.5 Use of food safety monitoring programmes for monitoring dioxins and furans in fish and shellfish 35

1.5.5.6 Development of EcoQO on changes in the proportion of large fish and evaluation of size-based indicators 36

1.5.5.7 Biological effects techniques for oil spill monitoring 40

1.5.5.8 Biological effects techniques for use in monitoring programmes 44

1.6 New disease trends in wild and cultured fish, molluscs and crustaceans 49

1.7 General overview of trends in the Northeast Atlantic 59

1.8 Acronyms and terminology 61

1.9 Maps