ICES Advice 2008, Book 8 - Baltic Sea

8 THE BALTIC SEA 1

8.1 Ecosystem Overview 1

8.1.1 Ecosystem Components 1

8.1.2 Major environmental influences on ecosystem dynamics 4

8.2 The human impacts on the ecosystem 5

8.2.1 Fishery effects on benthos and fish communities 5

8.2.2 Other effects of human use of the ecosystem 6

8.2.3 Conclusions 6

8.2.4 References 6

8.3 Assessments and advice 13

8.3.1 Stock Trends 13

8.3.2 ICES advice for fisheries management 18

8.3.3 Special requests 28

8.3.3.1 EC request on restocking of cod in the Western Baltic 28

8.3.3.2 EC request on revision of Salmon Action Plan 36

8.4 Stock summaries 46

8.4.1 Cod in Subdivisions 22-24 (including Subdivision 23) 46

8.4.2 Cod in Subdivisions 25-32 56

8.4.3 Herring in Subdivisions 22-24 and Division IIIa (spring spawners) 69

8.4.4 Herring in Subdivisions 25-29 (excluding Gulf of Riga herring) and 32 70

8.4.5 Herring in the Gulf of Riga 79

8.4.6 Herring in Subdivision 30, Bothnian Sea 88

8.4.7 Herring in Subdivision 31, Bothnian Bay 90

8.4.8 Sprat in Subdivisions 22-32 92

8.4.9 Flounder 103

8.4.10 Plaice 105

8.4.11 Dab 108

8.4.12 Turbot in Subdivisions 22 to 32 110

8.4.13 Brill in Subdivisions 22 to 32 113

8.4.14 Salmon in the Main Basin and the Gulf of Bothnia (Subdivisions 22-31) 115

8.4.15 Salmon in the Gulf of Finland (Subdivision 32) 126

8.4.16 Sea Trout in the Baltic 128