Report of the Annual Meeting of Advisory Work-ing Group Chairs (WGCHAIRS)

The Chair, Michael Sissenwine, welcomed the participants, the Agenda was adopted and each participant presented him/herself in a tour‐de‐table. The Agenda is given in Annex I and the list of participants in Annex II.

The Chair reviewed the outcome of the December 2008 ACOM meeting and drew the participants’ attention to the guidelines that had been adopted at that meeting. These guidelines concern formulating advice and for organising the work in the various groups and lay down the basis for the work in 2009. The guidelines are not yet final and will evolve as we gain more experience with the new advisory system. Expert groups and everybody else involved were urged to comment and propose improve‐ments to the working procedures.

The Chair of SCICOM introduced the reform of the science branch of ICES noting that the implementation plan will be finalized at the planned May 2009 meeting. The importance of good cooperation between the science and advisory branches of ICES was emphasized from both sides.