WGCEPH

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Daniel Oesterwind, Catalina Perales-Raya, Vladimir Laptikhovsky

EPDSG

The Working Group on Cephalopod Fisheries and Life History (WGCEPH) improves knowledge about and the assessment of cephalopods as an exploited resource.

WGCEPH operates in disciplines such as cephalopod biology, ecology, fisheries, and assessment. This includes work on data compilation, monitoring of fishery trends, production of catch per unit effort (CPUE) data series, understanding of the dynamics of fleets targeting cephalopods, and evaluation of Data Collection Framework (DCF) effectiveness in sampling.

Cephalopods are important components of marine ecosystems as well as significant resources, especially for small-scale fisheries in Europe. Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the marine environment is defined as a precious heritage that must be protected, preserved and restored - with the ultimate aim being to maintain biodiversity and clean, healthy, and productive oceans. In this way, cephalopod biology, life history, and assessment have to be taken into account.