Report of the Study Group on Discard and By-Catch Information

The Study Group on Discard and By-Catch Information [SGDBI] (Chair: J. Cotter, UK) was requested to meet for

the third time at ICES Headquarters from 4–7 March 2002 to:

a) update and amend the compilation of regional discard data to provide discard estimates in the form to be used by

the relevant ICES assessment working groups;

b) identify species, areas, and fleets where discard data are required but have not been collected, or where the type or format of data collection do not meet the requirement at a);

c) compile by-catch and discard information for fleets that affect the species and stocks for which recovery plans are

in operation (e.g. Nephrops fleets in the North Sea and Irish Sea);

d) provide estimates and confidence intervals of cod and plaice discards in the different fleets in the North Sea within the period 1970 to the present.