Fishery Management in the Northeast Atlantic: the Role of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Author: Lee, A. J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1973
• Subjects: General Medicine; North East Atlantic; Northeast Atlantic; Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f73-327; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f73-327

Rational management by the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) is aided by scientific advice given to it by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Such advice is provided through a Liaison Committee consisting of the Chairmen of eight Area- and Sub-Committees and five co-opted members. The members of the Liaison Committee act on their own and not on behalf of governments or other bodies. Advice comes to a large extent through working groups, which pass their views to the Liaison Committee. This decides what advice to pass to the commission. The responsibility of the Liaison Committee is to see that the advice is scientifically sound and based on adequate information.There are 23 working groups covering the main fisheries of the region. They usually meet early in the year and the Liaison committee considers their reports in February, to prepare its own report for circulation one month before the commission meeting in May. This tight timetable is becoming more difficult to meet as NEAFC calls for advice on more stocks. It is complicated by the fact that other meetings (notably that of the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries) are held at about the same time, and that many scientists are involved in both; there are not enough to do all the work.The great strength of ICES is that it is a scientific forum as well as being a scientific advisory body to NEAFC. A major concern in recent years has been the dependence of recruitment on parent stock. Nearly all the demersal fisheries of the area have come under mesh and minimum size regulations; attention is now focused on the pelagic fisheries and on methods of management involving control of the total amount of fishing and the assignment of catch quotas. This will call for improved methods of stock assessment. More reliable estimates of future recruitment are also essential.ICES has been ahead of public opinion in respect to concern for the environment, and an Advisory Committee on Marine Pollution has been ...