Report from the Annual Meeting of Expert Group Chairs (WGCHAIRS)

 The Annual Meeting of ICES Expert Group Chairs (WGCHAIRS) provides an opportunity for chairs of all ICES working groups to share experiences and ideas, co-ordinate work, meet with their steering group, Advisory Committee and Science Committee chairs, and highlight any support they need from the ICES network. The group also provides participants with updates on developments in the network and their implications, as well as opportunities to identify future science priorities and plans for advisory products. 

This 2023 meeting report contains advice-related, science-related and cross-cutting issues. The meeting in 2023 included an extra day for incoming chairs, covering an introduction on the responsibilities for chairs, an introduction to the guidelines for ICES groups and a forum to express expectations and ask questions for the Chairs of the Advisory and Science Committees. 

The advice topics that were addressed include conservation aspects in advice, challenges and solutions for advice-based working groups, guidelines for Benchmarks, exploring reference points, the Transparent Assessment Framework (TAF), online advice, and the Workplan for 2023.

The science topics that were addressed include how we can make ICES science more visible, implementing the Science Plan, the next steps for the Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Framework, and breakout groups for steering group chair interaction.

Cross-cutting topics included an update on the action items from the WGCHAIRS meeting 2022, gender and inclusivity in ICES, the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, developing and implementing methods for the knowledge that flows into advice, ICES Publications and the new ICES library, update from Overviews including the data profiling tool and pipeline, and a presentation and exercise on the role of scientists in ICES, as an applied science organisation

Key actions resulting from the meeting are:

• The Secretariat, ACOM and SCICOM chairs develop an outline for chairs’ training in dialogue with chairs.
• An additional meeting in 2023 is needed to discuss the future and next steps on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) implementation together with WGCHAIRS.
• Secretariat, ACOM and SCICOM to work on a communication strategy: what is a feasible and meaningful way of communication and how can we use it most efficiently are the main questions. Communication needs to be focused, separating the signal from the noise. What kind of impact does ICES want to make, and who are the target groups?