Report of the Working Group on Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the Baltic

At the 74th Statutory Meeting of ICES in 1986, it was decided (C.Res.1986/2:5:131 that the Working Group on Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the Baltic should meet at ICES headquarters from 6-15 April 1987 to:

a) compile fishing effort and catch-per-unit-effort data for possible use in assessments;

b) consider the report of the Working Group on Multispecies Assessments of Baltic Fish;

c) assess the status of and provide catch options for 1988 within safe biological limits for the cod stocks in the Baltic;

d) estimate the distribution of fishing effort and catch-per-unit- effort within and between the fishery zones of the IBSFC Contracting Parties;

e) compile all available data on and carry out assessments to the extent possible for the stocks of flounder in the Baltic according to sub-divisions:

f) provide quarterly catch-at-age and catch and stock mean weight-at-age data by sub-division for Baltic cod for 1980-1986 as input to the multispecies VPA.