Report of the 1962 Iceland Trawl Mesh Selection Working Group

Following a request from the Permanent Commission, the North Western Working Group was set up in May, 1960 to investigate the state of the fish stocks in the northern part of the Convention Area outside the north-east Arctic. This Group was to analyse the effects on the fish stocks of further increases of'mesh sizes above 110 mm. 

During its work the Group felt the need for more selectivity data for some of the more important species and it therefore passed the following recommendation for the consideration of the Liaison Committee:-

1. Selectivity data for cod, haddock, redfish and coalfish in Icelandic waters are needed. It is thought that these could most effectively be obtained by an international experiment along the lines of those carried out in the North Sea and the Arctic in 1959 and 1960. Accordingly, the Group recommends that the attention of the Chairman of the Comparative Fishing Committee be drawn to this proposition at an early date, with a view to planning an experiment of this kind at the 1961 meeting of the Council.

This recommendation was adopted by the Comparative Fishing Committee at its 1961 meeting and Mr. Jon.Jonsson was asked to act as Organiser of the experiment. 

During the detailed planning he was assisted by Mr. A. R. Margetts who also undertook to work out the first results for presentation at the 1962 ICES Meeting. The experiments were carried out during the months April to September,1962. As an outcome of co-operation between ICES and ICNAF, Canada also took part in the experiment. At the 1962 ICES Meeting, Mr. Margetts gave a summary of the results obtained so far, and at that meeting it was decided to have the results worked out in full detail by a Working Group. This Group was to be composed of representatives of the countries which took part in the experiment. Mr. Jon Jonsson was made Convenor of this Group with special assistance by Mr. Margetts.