Report of the Working Group on Assessment of Pelagic Stocks in the Baltic - Part 1 of 2

The Working Group on Assessment of Pelagic Stocks in the Baltic met with the following terms of reference (C.Res.1988/2:4:10):

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

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

c) assess the status of within safe biological stocks in the Baltic, spring-spawning herring 22-24; and provide catch options for 1990 limits for the herring and sprat including the combined stock of in Division lIla and Sub-divisions

d) provide quarterly catch-at-age and catch and stock mean weight-at-age data by sub-division for Baltic herring and sprat for 1988 as input to the multispecies VPA.

e) compile the following information on the stocks of and sprat in the Baltic Sea (including the Kattegat) years 1979-1988 for use by the Helsinki Commission Second Periodic Assessment of the Baltic: herring for the in its

i) a short review of the assessed status of each stock including trends in recruitment, yield, mortality, and stock size, and their significance;

ii) graphs showing the trends in the above parameters for 1) all available years and 2) the period 1979-1988;

iii) an explanation of the extent to which these stocks have reacted to environmental factors and to fishing activities, and what impact they have on zooplankton and benthos by predation.