ICES provides advice on the status of fish and shellfish stocks in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The latest advice on fish stocks can be downloaded here. Last year's advice can be found in the ICES Advice report series.

Please also consult our guide to understanding the terms used in the advice.

For information on how fish stocks are assessed, please see our online brochure Fish Stocks: Counting the Uncountable?

Where does the information come from?
The information forming the basis of this advice is collected by marine scientists in the ICES member countries.

They collect data through sampling landings of fish at fish markets, sampling the amount of fish discarded from fishing boats and by targeted surveys with research vessels.

The ACOM advice is based on data (market sampling, discard sampling and surveys by research vessels) from the 20 member countries.

Who uses the data?
The data is used by ICES Working Groups to assess the status of fish and shellfish stocks.

This information is then collated into advice by the Advisory Committee (ACOM). This Committee has representatives from each of the 20 member countries.

What's in the report?

ICES advice covers over 135 separate fish and shellfish stocks. The advice for each stock usually includes:

- An estimate of historical trends in landings, spawning stock biomass, recruitment and fishing mortality rate;

- A description of the 'state of the stock' in relation to historical levels;

- The likely medium term development of the stock using different rates of fishing mortality; and

- A short term forecast of spawning stock biomass and catch.

Who uses the advice?

ICES is the official scientific advisory body to the following commissions:

- North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC);
- North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO);
- Commission of the European Union (EC).

Find out more about ACOM...

Contacts

The Chair of ACOM is Jean-Jacques Maguire.

ICES
H. C. Andersens -
Boulevard 44-46
DK-1553
Copenhagen V
Denmark
Tel: +45 3338 6700
Fax: +45 3393 4215
info@ices.dk