Members of
the ICES/NCM Workshop on Technical Guidelines for Multispecies Management
arrived at Copenhagen’s historic Carlsberg Academy on 27 February for a
day-long programme involving presentations by several key speakers and open
discussions on a range of points such as the potential need for multispecies
management, development of the Integrated Ecosystem in ICES, and whether
there’s a need for multispecies management and advice in other parts of the
world other than the ICES and EU areas, amongst others.
Seven
presentations were made over the course of the day which, although taking into
account a more global perspective, generally focussed on the Northeast Atlantic
area and the Baltic.
The
ultimate aim of the initiative is to compile a Guidance Document for a
worldwide audience mainly for data rich fisheries. A draft had been
prepared beforehand by a Core Group of 5 experts consisting of Bjarte Bogstad, IMR, Norway; Anna Rindorff, DTU Aqua; Yvonne Walther, SLU, Sweden; Jörn Schmidt,
Christian Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany; and Stuart Reeves,
DG Mare, Belgium. The
Core Group had also convened a day before the workshop at ICES Secretariat to
discuss and finalize agenda items and the content of presentations. It will use
the results of and input from the meeting in order to finalize the Guidance
Document.
Anna
Rindorff, from the Section for Ecosystem Based Marine
Management at DTU Aqua, reflected on the meeting: “All
of it went pretty well. Usually it’s really difficult to get managers into the
room so this was a really good opportunity to get them there and to talk to
them. This is one thing that made it different from other stakeholder
engagement activities. It was special to have so many managers and get a
different view on it. Where we often discuss the quality of our models, the
managers think more about how they can actually be used in practice and what
problems they will give. So it’s a bit of a different angle.”
The workshop, attended by 42 scientists,
managers, and stakeholders, was very successful, with a broad range of input
and ideas contributing to a lively and purposeful exchange of views. Chaired by
ICES Ecosystem Professional Office Mark Dickey-Collas, talks were given by
Eskild Kirkegaard, DTU Aqua and Ye Yimin, FAO, Italy as well as Stuart Reeves, Anna
Rindorff, Bjarte Bogstad, Jörn Schmidt,
and Yvonne Walther.
A kind
thank you is extended to the NCM and its Swedish Chairmanship for funding the
initiative.
