Report of the Planning Group on Northeast Atlantic Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (PGNAPES)

The present report was prepared on the Planning Group on Northeast Atlantic Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (PGNAPES) in Reykjavik, Iceland 15–18 August 2006 and contains the results of the acoustic, hydrographic, plankton and fish sampling from two international ICES coordinated survey in 2006. The International blue whiting spawning stock survey on the spawning grounds west of the British Isles in March-April 2006 with participation of Norway, Faroes, Russia and the Netherlands along with Ireland (EU coordinated), and International ecosystem survey in the Nordic Seas with main focus on Norwegian spring-spawning herring and blue whiting in the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea in May-June 2006 with participation of Denmark (EU coordinated), Faroes, Iceland and Norway. In addition the scientific study of mackerel, herring and blue whiting was performed in the Norwegian Sea in the July-August with the chartered commercial vessels M/V “Libas” and M/V “Endre Dyrøy” with project leader from Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway. The survey results include the distribution and the biomass estimate of spawning blue whiting in March-April west of the British Isles, and the distribution, migration and stock estimates of Norwegian spring-spawning herring and blue whiting, and the environment (oceanographic conditions and biomass of zooplankton) of the Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea and adjacent waters in spring and summer of 2006. The abundance estimates are used in the fish stock assessment of Norwegian spring spawning herring and blue whiting in ICES Northern Pelagic and Blue Whiting Fisheries Working Group (WGNPBW). The collection of environmental data further improves the basis for ecosystem modelling of the Northeast Atlantic. Broad plans for the ICES coordinated surveys for 2007 are also outlined with descriptions of the relevant protocols, preliminary participants and suggested survey designs.