Report of the Working Group on Seabird Ecology (WGSE)

Between 2012 and 2013, the ICES Working Group on Seabird Ecology effectively di-vided into two separate groups: the “Bird Expert Group of the OSPAR Intersessional Correspondence Group on Coordination of Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring (ICG-COBAM)” and the ICES “Working Group on Seabird Ecology”. The first of these was formed to deal with applied issues, especially the development and im-plementation of “EcoQ0s” while the second has the task of writing about more “pure science” topics. It is our intention to form a joint ICES/OSPAR group in future years whose goal it will be to address both applied and pure research. For now, this report will include only the work of the ICES WGSE; the results of the OSPAR group will appear separately. We addressed three terms of reference, on Local Enhancement and Facilitation, on use of Mathematical Models to portray spatial distribution of seabirds, and on recent changes on European law regarding discards by commercial fishing vessels. The resolution to form the Joint ICES/OSPAR Group will be added at a later stage.