Exciting new approach to fish stock assessment!

One of the key functions of ICES is to provide advice on the status of fisheries resources in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Landings of fish within the area covered by ICES are close to 10% of global marine landings, and some of the world's leading fisheries research institutions contribute to the ICES advisory process.

The fisheries system includes the fish stock, fishermen, scientists and the managers.

However, despite a large and technically complex input to fisheries management, most stocks in the ICES area are overexploited and in some cases depleted. Dwindling fish stocks combined with overcapacity in the fishing fleets have led to a poor financial return for the fishing industry and a low or even negative economic contribution from fisheries to national economies.

To try to improve on this situation, and take a more wide-ranging approach to fisheries assessment, a new group, the Working Group on Fishery Systems was established by ICES, in June 2000. The main aim of this group is to "develop a framework and methodology for the analysis of fishery systems performance".

What is a fisheries system?
A fisheries system includes the fish stock, the fishermen who are trying to make a living, the scientists assessing the fish stock, and finally the managers who regulate the fishery.

The traditional approach to fisheries assessment mainly concentrates on the fish stock. Taking a broader approach, the Working Group will be developing new methods of assessing the whole fisheries system, whilst at the same time addressing biological, economic, and social concerns.

Who will be involved?
The study and evaluation of fisheries systems is a challenge that requires cooperation between the fishermen and several disciplines:

· Biologists and statisticians to evaluate the technical aspects of the advisory process;
· Economists and sociologists to evaluate the adaptations of the fishing fleet;
· Political scientists and institutional economists to evaluate the management decision processes; and
· Sociology of science, to evaluate the linkages between the biological advice production and other parts of the system.

Many of the disciplines mentioned have not normally participated in ICES work before and it takes considerable time and interest from all parties to develop the basic mutual understanding that is necessary for productive cooperation.

The Working Group is looking at methods of assessing the whole fisheries system and that includes the fishermen!

Difficulties
It has not been easy recruiting social scientists to the Working Group as demonstrated by the participation in the first meeting, in June 2000, where only two out of 14 participants had a social science background. The reason for this is not lack of interest - there has actually been considerable interest from various social science quarters for this work - but lack of funding.

The research institutions that contribute to the ICES advisory process do not recruit social scientists as part of their mandate, and social science research institutions do not have funding to participate. This Working Group could therefore be the first ICES working group that will have to identify external funding to be able to continue its work.

Further information
To find out more about this Working Group please contact either of the co-chairs: Poul Degnbol (Denmark) or Jon Sutinen (USA).

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