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

In accordance with aresolution adopted at the 80th Statutory Meeting in Rostock (C.Res.1992/2:8:6) the Working Group met at ICES Beadquarters from 14-22 April 1993 to:

a) evaluate the status of cod stocks in the Baltic in relation to the advice given by ACFM in 1992 and identify any major changes;

b) assess the status of and provide catch options for 1994 for the cod stock in the Kattegat and sole stocks in Division IIIa;

c) update the description of the fisheries for demersal stocks in the Baltic Sea which was provided in 1992, including an evaluation of the impacts of the gillnet fishery;

d) provide the data requested by the Working Group on

Multispecies Assessment of BaItic Fish;

e) perform assessments on as many flatfish stocks in the BaItic as is practicable with the available data, providing information in particular on the state of the flounder stocks, and initiate an evaluation of discards rate;

f) evaluate the biological basis for the existing minimum legal mesh sizes for trawl and gillnets and minimum legal landing sizes for flatfish in the Baltic, and advise on any appropriate modifieations necessary to optimize the exploitation of flounder and to keep disearding to aminimum;

g) advise on the implications for optimal exploitation of

the cod stocks in the Baltic resulting from the transfer of fishing effort from trawling to bottom-set gillnetting;

h) finalize plans for an investigation of the bottom-set gillnet fishery in the Baltic and the impact of lost bottom-set gillnets on fish stocks, coordinate the research, and report on any results available;

i) evaluate the increase of minimum landing size of cod and eorresponding adjustments of the minimum mesh size in cod trawls and gillnets in order to provide an optimal exploitation pattern of the Baltic cod stocks. The evaluation should inc1ude implications on shortterm and long-term yield and recruitment as an effect of varying levels of a mesh size/landing size increase.