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

This present report was prepared by the Planning Group on Northeast Atlantic Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (PGNAPES) in Ijmuiden, the Netherlands 14–17 August 2007 and contains the results of the acoustic, hydrographic, plankton and fish sampling from two international ICES coordinated survey in 2007. The International blue whiting spawning stock survey on the spawning grounds west of the British Isles in March-April 2007 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 2007 with participation of Denmark (EU coordinated), Faroes, Iceland; Russia 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 “Eros” and a Russian survey with RV “Smolensk” in June 2007. 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 2007. 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. Unfortunately, no hydrographical or plankton expertise participated in the PGNAPES meeting this year. Broad plans for the ICES coordinated surveys for 2008 are also outlined with descriptions of the relevant protocols, preliminary participants and suggested survey designs.