Report of the Baltic International Fish Survey Working Group

The WGBIFS was initiated in 1996 to promote co-ordination and standardisation of national research surveys in the Baltic (ICES C.1\1. 1995/J:l). The first Working Group meeting (ICES C.1\1. 1996/J:l) considered the design of trawl surveys for cod assessment, established a bottom trawl manual and outlined problems in hydroacoustic surveys. The second meeting (ICES C.1\1. 1997/J:4) gave advice on intercalibration between research vessels, described sampling protocols of sprat and flounder and evaluated historical data from hydroacoustic investigations on herring. Both meetings dealt with the introduction of modern standard bottom trawls for resource surveys in the Baltic. Expertise advise on the choice of standard trawls has been provided by two gear workshops (ICES C.1\1. 1997/16; 1998/H: 1).