Report of the Study Group on Elasmobranch Fishes

Highlights: a) review the status of Elasmobranch stocks within the Northeast and Northwest Atlantic and, where possible, identify trends in biomass and recruitment;b) identify the extent of the commercial and sport fisheries in which elasmobranchs are targeted or caught as by-catch and estimate the amount (biomass/numbers per size class) of elasmobranchs· taken as catches and lost as discards;c) describe/review the ecological role of elasmobranch species, their reproductive dynamics and predation of elasmobranchs by species or group of species;d) coordinate techniques of age determination and age verification of elasmobranchs;e) ·coordinate methods on modeling and assessment of elasmobranch stocks;f) identify the development of compensatory mechanisms as a response to exploitation;g) outline an action plan for attaining the goals set above;