Minutes of the Meeting of the ICES Advisory Committee (ACOM), March 2023

The advisory Committee of ICES met in plenary in Copenhagen and online between 7 to 10 March 2023. All member countries of ICES were represented (except for the representative from the Russian Federation) and observers from the Faroe Islands and Greenland were also present. ACOM considered a range of issues and proposed actions and took decisions as appropriate.

All members considered the code of ethics and professional conduct. ACOM reflected on the code of conduct. ACOM considered quality assurance, data limited methods for fisheries advice, advice drafting for recurrent advice on ecosystem services and effects, the perception of advice, and provision of advice for Barents Sea stocks. It also considered implementation of the stake-holder engagement strategy, the beta version of the inline advice, recreational fisheries, recom-mendations from expert groups to ACOM and benchmarks. Challenges around the provision of spatial advice, and bycatch of protected, endangered and threatened species were discussed. Plans for further consideration of rebuilding plans and reference points were agreed. The further role out of Transparent Assessment Framework was agreed, as was the approach to increase engagement in ICES projects. The Chair of the ICES Science Committee reported to ACOM and future research directions were highlighted. ACOM supported the further implementation of the Framework for Ecosystem-Informed Science and Advice (FEISA).