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The duration of ice-coverage is one of the key environmental factors directly affecting the northeastern Baltic fisheries. The 1990s can be characterized as years of relatively warm winters and reduced ice-coverage. As a result, the open sea trawl fishery became possible year round, except in the most eastern part of the Gulf of Finland and close to the coast. The increased possibilities for the winter trawl fishery encouraged Estonian fishermen to employ bigger open sea trawlers. At the same time, substantial declines in demersal fish stocks occurred, in part due to environmental processes. This included reduced inflow of saline water from the North Sea that resulted in reduced salinity and oxygen levels in the northeastern Baltic and contributed to the collapse of bottom trawling for cod and flounder. These resulted in significant changes in the exploitation pattern on the main fish stocks of herring, sprat, cod. and flounder with important socio-economical implications for Estonia. Article from Marine Science Symposia Vol. 219 - "Hydrobiological variability in the ICES Area, 1990-1999", symposium held in Edinburgh, 8-10 August 2001. To access the remaining articles please click on the keyword "MSS Vol. 219".

The mean weight-at-age of herring and sprat has shown a decreasing trend, following a decrease in the marine component of the zooplankton during an extended period of absence of large inflows to the Baltic Sea. Simultaneously, the open-sea herring stocks have decreased in abundance, while some gulf stocks of herring and sprat stock have increased. The changes observed have had an effect not only on relationships within the ecosystem, but also on the assessment and exploitation of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea.Article from Marine Science Symposia Vol. 219 - "Hydrobiological variability in the ICES Area, 1990-1999", symposium held in Edinburgh, 8-10 August 2001. To access the remaining articles please click on the keyword "MSS Vol. 219".

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) not hold its 63rd Plenary Meeting as originally foreseen on 16-20 March 2020 but was requested to draft its advice by written procedure instead.-- 94 pages, The STECF was originally planned to meet in plenary on 16-20 March at the JRC, Ispra. Due to the emergent covid-19 situation in northern Italy and later on the whole of Europe, the meeting was first shifted to Brussels, and then cancelled and replaced by a written procedure with STECF members addressing the ToRs from their home offices. The original ToRs were re-prioritised by the Commission in order to facilitate the STECF working under non-ideal conditions. In addition, the Commission supported the STECF chair and vice-chair, rapporteurs and those STECF members being able to contribute to the written procedure by issuing individual ad hoc contracts. Below DG MARE lists the points to be developed under written procedure. All other points originally included in the draft ToR and Agenda are either postponed to one of the future plenaries or to be dealt with under different procedures, or will no longer be dealt with by STECF. After consultation within DG MARE, this exceptional written procedure to replace the Plenary March session, will need to deal with the following points and ToR. These concern, in summary: - 2 points in the Atlantic – both technical measures - 3 points in the Med – some diversity in the subject - 1 point in the Black Sea – on data collection. Finalization of the written procedure on all topics was foreseen for 3 April 2020

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) held its 65th plenary as virtual meeting from 9-13 November 2020.-- 152 pages, Commission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) hold its 60th plenary on 25-29 March 2019at JRC, Ispra, Italy.-- 159 pages, Commission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) hold its 61st plenary on 1-5 July 2019 at the Centre Borschette, Brussels.-- 139 pages, Commission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines

The main objective of WGBFAS was to assess the status and produce a draft advice of the following stocks: • Sole in Division 3.a, SDs 20–24 • Cod in Kattegat, Cod in SDs 22–24, Cod in SDs 24–32 • Herring in SDs 25–27, 28.2, 29 and 32 • Herring in SD 28.1 (Gulf of Riga) • Herring in SDs 30-31 (Gulf of Bothnia) • Sprat in SDs 22–32 • Plaice in SDs 21–23, Plaice in SDs 24–32 • Flounder in SDs 22–23 (no catch advice) • Flounder in SDs 24–25 (no catch advice) The WG was not requested to assess the following stocks in 2019, as no advice was needed: • Flounder in SDs 26+28 • Flounder in SDs 27+29–32 • Brill in SDs 22–32 • Dab in SDs 22–32 • Turbot in SDs 22–32 It was, however, decided by the group to compile and update the input data for 2018 and thereby also conduct update assessments for these latest five stocks. In the introductory chapter of this report the WG, in agreement with the ToRs, considers and comments on the ecosystem and fisheries overviews, reviews the progress on benchmark processes, identifies the data needed for next year’s data call with some suggestions for improvements in the data call, and summarizes general and stock-specific research needs. The introduction further summarizes the work of other WGs relevant to the WGBFAS, and the assessment methods used. Finally, the introduction presents a brief overview of each stock and quite extensively discusses the ecosystem considerations of the Baltic Sea and ecosystem changes that have been analytically considered in the stock assessments. The results of the analytical stock assessment or survey trends for the species listed above are presented for all the stocks with the same species in the same sections. The analytical models used for the stock assessments were XSA, SAM and SS3. For most flatfish (data limited stocks), CPUE trends from bottom-trawl surveys were used in the assessment (except plaice in SDs 24–25 for which relative SSB from SAM was used). For cod in SDs 24–32, a full analytical assessment (using SS3) could be performed, after the compilation/benchmark work undertaken in 2018–2019. The report ends with references, annexes with the response to a special request, links to Stock Annexes, and list of Working Documents.

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) hold its 62nd plenary on 11-15 November 2019 at the Centre Borschette, Brussels.-- 154 pages, Commission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines

The eastern Baltic (EB) cod (Gadus morhua) stock was depleted and overexploited for decades until the mid-2000s, when fishing mortality rapidly declined and biomass started to increase, as shown by stock assessments. These positive developments were partly assigned to effective management measures, and the EB cod was considered one of the most successful stock recoveries in recent times. In contrast to this optimistic view, the analytical stock assessment failed in 2014, leaving the present stock status unclear. Deteriorated quality of some basic input data for stock assessment in combination with changes in environmental and ecological conditions has led to an unusual situation for cod in the Baltic Sea, which poses new challenges for stock assessment and management advice. A number of adverse developments such as low nutritional condition and disappearance of larger individuals indicate that the stock is in distress. In this study, we (i) summarize the knowledge of recent changes in cod biology and ecosystem conditions, (ii) describe the subsequent challenges for stock assessment, and (iii) highlight the key questions where answers are urgently needed to understand the present stock status and provide scientifically solid support for cod management in the Baltic Sea.