Report of the Working Group on Data Needs for Assessments and Advice (PGDATA)

The ICES Planning Group on Data Needs for Assessments and Advice (PGDATA) met for the first time in Lysekil, Sweden, from 30 June–3 July 2015. The main focus for the group in its first year was the end‑use of data and information on data quality in the ICES stock assessment process, particularly the benchmarking of singe-‑species stock assessments. The PG reviewed previous benchmark stock assessment meeting reports going back to 2009, and also the responses of ICES stock assessment expert groups to data quality questionnaires for discards estimates supplied by Member States in the 2015 ICES data call. An extremely variable approach between expert groups to evalu-ating and acting upon the quality of data available for the assessments was found. PGDATA drafted, using this back ground, detailed guidelines for the data compilation and evaluation stage of ICES benchmark stock assessments to encourage a more con-sistent, transparent and objective approach for data evaluation. The guidelines will be tested using a full data evaluation process for Irish Sea whiting in the Irish Sea bench-mark assessment (WKIRISH) in 2016. PGDATA discussed its role in relation to Inter-Catch, the Regional Data Bases (RDB) and the ICES Data Group, and suggested a prioritized list of work to be conducted in InterCatch. The PG recognizes the potential huge value of the RDB as a tool for end-users to scrutinise the coverage and quality of fishery sampling data, including the evaluation and documentation of data quality for benchmark and update assessments at ICES. PGDATA recommends that funding be made available for further development of the RDB including analysis routines to pro-vide estimates needed for stock assessments or other end use together with diagnostics of the quality of data and estimates. During the meeting the PG addressed a European Commission request on the needs for recreational fishery data, and supported the de-tailed response of the 2015 ICES Working Group on Recreational Fishery Surveys, but further emphasizing role of RCG / ICES in defining regional needs and sampling plans. Feedback on the role and work programme of PGDATA was sought at the meeting from the chairs of ICES Expert Groups (WGBIOP, WGCATCH) and the regional coor-dination meetings (RCMs), and the work programme for 2015–16 was reviewed and adapted.