Report of the Baltic Herring Age-Reading Study Group

During the ICES 1997 Annual Science Conference (85th Statutory Meeting) in Baltimore, USA, it was decided that Baltic Herring Age Reading Study Group (BHARSG) should meet at the Latvian Fisheries Research Institute, Riga, Latvia from 23 to 27 February 1998 to:
1. intercalibrate the age reading and age determination methodology of Baltic herring and describe a protocol for
handling Baltic herring otoliths;
2. organise a comparative age determination of otoliths and evaluate results using the methods described by the
Working Group on Sampling Strategies for Age and Maturity;
3. in the light of the results of the Study Group, identify new research and actions needed to improve the consistency of age reading;
4. prepare a manual of standard procedures on Baltic herring age-reading.