Report of a meeting to consider young fish surveys, Bergen 6-9 May 1974; Report of the Working Group on North Sea young herring surveys, IJmuiden, 19 April-3 May 1974

Report of a meeting to consider young fish surveys, Bergen 6-9 May 1974.

For a number of reasons it is very desirable to determine year class strength at an early stage in the life history of commercial fish species. In recent years, therefore, there has been an increase of international interest in young fish surveys; largely because of the need for earlier and more accurate forecasts of year class strength in relation to management of fish stocks.
In order to assess the value of existing data from young fish surveys carried out in the ICES area; the Statutory Meeting of ICES in 1973 adopted the following resolution (C.Res.1973/2:12):-
"It was decided, that:
a meeting should be convened in Bergen in the first half of 1974, to investigate the methodology of young fish surveys for both pelagic and demersal species, and to appraise the existing data from those surveys which have been conducted for many years, and that Professor O Dragesund will be Chairman".
The meeting was held in Bergen at the Institute of Marine Research from 6-9 May 1974.

Report of the Working Group on North Sea young herring surveys, IJmuiden, 19 April-3 May 1974.

At the 61st Statutory Meeting of ICES it was decided that the Working Group on North Sea Young Herring Surveys should meet in Ymuiden for one week in May 1974 in order to consider the interpretation of the results and the proposals for extension of these surveys to include demersal species (C.Res,1973/2:19), Consequently, the Working Group met in IJmuiden from 29 April to 3 May 1974. 

During its first session, the Group decided that the emphasis of the meeting should be on evaluating the results of the past surveys, and deciding whether the results obtained so far were promising enough to warrant a continuation of the surveys.