The aim of this workshop is to review the technical problems regarding the age-reading of Norwegian Spring Spawning herring between Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands regarding the extra growth added in May samples. Otoliths and scales from the May-July surveys will be brought to the workshop and discussed.
Age determination is an essential feature in fish stock assessment to estimate the rates of moralities and growth. In order to arrive at appropriate management advice ageing procedures must be reliable.
Otolith/scale processing methods and age reading methods might differ considerably between countries. Therefore, otolith/scale exchanges should be carried out on a regular basis, and if serious problems exist age reading workshops should be organised to solve these problems.
