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

At the 77th Statutory meeting of ICES in 1989, it was decided (C.Res.1989/2:4:9) that the Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the Baltic would meet at ICES Headquarters from 17-26 April 1990 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 1991 within safe biological limits for the cod stocks in the Baltic;

d) provide quarterly catch-at-age and catch and stock mean weight-at-age data by sub-division for Baltic cod for 1989 as input to the multispecies VPA;

e) evaluate the validity of present stock unit definitions for assessment and management purposes for cod in the Baltic, taking into account any relationships with Populations in Division IIIa;

f) provide information on the effects of introducing square mesh codends in trawls used in the cod fishery;

g) provide information on the effects on the stocks of turbot brill of removing the regulation prohibiting the retention on board of these species in Sub-divisions 22-26 between 1 June and 31 July;

h) evaluate the consequences of maintaining the present IBSFC quota allocation system, with particular reference to the risk of overexploitation of individual stocks;

i) produce a report for ACMP at its 1990 session on the effects of hypoxia in particular, and other forms of pollution, on the relevant Baltic Fish stocks based on a review to be produced by Mrs E. Nielsen and Dr O. Bagge