Report of the Study Group on Evaluation of Current Assessment Procedures for North Sea Herring (SGEHAP)

The STGEHAP will be established and work by correspondence in 2001 to:

a) propose and evaluate an assessment procedure that is less restrictive in the separability assumption than methods in current use (ICA);

b) evaluate the usefulness of the so-called "split factor" in predicting abundance of the stock components in Division

IIIa and in Sub-area IV;

c) review the procedures used for generating fleet based selection patterns;

d) based on the reviews done under b) and c) propose and evaluate a prediction procedure (both short and medium

term) that meets management needs for an area based advice. Implement and verify a new prediction computer

program;

e) revisit the basis for the biological reference points implemented in the management plan for North Sea (autumn spawning) herring