Report of the Working Group to Demonstrate a Celtic Seas wide approach to the application of fisheries related science to the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (WGMSFDemo)

The Working Group to Demonstrate a Celtic Seas wide approach to the application of fisheries related science to the implementation of the MSFD (WGMSFDemo) met for its third meeting on 16–18 April 2016, in Glasgow, Scotland, to continue work on its ToR.The WG was updated on developments with regard to developing guidance on oper-ational methods for the evaluation of the MSFD criterion D3.3 in response to a request from the EC.The EFARO/ICES initiative on preparing an integrated ecosystem survey was dis-cussed and the WG sees that such integration is critical given that many budgets for surveys are being reduced. The work done in WGISUR was supported in terms of process and concept and the importance to progress this in time for the next iteration of the MSFD was recognized.