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

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.

Additionally, the ICES Planning Group on Commercial Catch, Discards and Biological Sampling (PGCCDBS, 5-8 February 2002, Lisbon; ICES CM 2001/ACFM:26) made the following recommendations concerning biological sampling of discards:

􀂃 That for the purposes of international combination of maturity data the maturity stages used should be mappable to a common standard such as the IBTS maturity stages (Appendix II - IBTS Manual, ICES CM 1999/D:2);

􀂃 That the SGDBI be requested to list the planned sampling in 2002;

􀂃 That the available data should be reviewed on a regional basis to ensure that sampling coverage reflects the relative impact of each fishery in each area;

􀂃 That the SGDBI be asked to provide practical advice on the compatibility between fishery stratification used in

sampling discards and commercial catch statistics;

􀂃 That countries undertaking discard sampling adhere to the sampling strategy as suggested by SGDBI;

􀂃 That the country of origin makes arrangements to sample the discards and associated landings.