Report of the Planning Group on Commercial Catches, Discards and Biological Sampling (PGCCDBS)

The Planning Group on Commercial Catches, Discards and Biological Sampling [PGCCDBS] (Co-Chairs: Christoph Stransky, Germany, and Kjell Nedreaas, Norway) met 2–6 March 2009 in Montpellier, France. The Planning Group and workshops are proposed in response to the EC-ICES MoU that requests ICES to provide support for the Data Collection Regulation (DCR; EC Reg. 199/2008, 665/2008 and Decision 2008/949/EC). PGCCDBS is the ICES forum for planning and co-ordination of collec-tion of data for stock assessment purposes; it coordinates and initiates the develop-ment of methods and adopts sampling standards and guidelines. Many activities in this group are closely linked to the activities of the DCR, and DG MARE is a member of PGCCDBS to ensure coordination with the DCR activities. Stock assessment re-quires data covering the total removal from the fish stocks and the PG serves as a forum for coordination with non-EU member countries where appropriate.