Report of the 11th ICES dialogue meeting on "The relationship between scientific advice and fisheries management"

The Convener, Alain Maucorps (IFREMER), opened the 11th ICES Dialogue Meeting at 09.15 hrs on 25 January 1999 by welcoming delegates to Nantes. He drew attention to the history of these meetings, which started in the early 1980s following the establishment of the ICES Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management (ACFM) in 1977. The ICES Dialogue Meetings originally started as forums for interchange of views between scientists and managers. At various times, the meetings had been extended to include the consideration of the environmental aspects related to fisheries, and the participation of representatives of the fisheries industry. These forums serve as a useful mechanism for forthright exchanges of views on the challenges and difficulties that are faced, leading to a better understanding of the wider range of issues and the various responsibilities of the different sectors involved in fisheries.