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The cod population of the Oslofjord. This publication is part of Rapport et Proces-Verbaux des Reunions Vol. 136, which includes all contributions to a special scientific meeting on cod. To see all other articles in this volume, please click on the keyword "RPVR Vol. 136".

On the basis of data from annual summertime oceanographic surveys, conducted by PINRO in the Norwegian Sea, considerable variations in the maritime climate of this region during the 1990s have been identified. The early and later parts ot the 1990s were characterized by significant increases of water temperature of the Norwegian Current comparable to that in the early 1960s and mid-1970s. In the mid-1990s, transgression of cold water from the East Icelandic Current into the central part of the Norwegian Sea was accompanied by an abnormal decline of sea water temperature similar in magnitude to that observed at the end of the 1960s and early 1980s. Alternation of variation of water temperature anomalies in the Norwegian Sea during the 1990s took place against a considerable increase of water temperature in the Northeast Atlantic. The observed variations of climate influenced substantially the status of zooplankton ( Calanus fmmarchicus) and migration pattern of Atlanto-Scandian herring. 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".

This Workshop considered bycatch of cetaceans in gillnet and pelagic trawl fisheries throughout Europe’s seas. These seas were split into five main regions (Baltic, Kattegat/Belt Seas, North Sea, Atlantic, Mediterranean); the Atlantic was further subdivided when considering porpoises. Limited information was available for the Black Sea and European macrosnesia. Abundance estimates of the key cetacean species were pooled and estimates of bycatch limits (take limits) were made for each species and region based on 1.7% of the best estimate of abundance. Effort data for all gillnet fisheries were pooled for each region and existing records of by-catch rate were used to generate crude likely minimum and maximum bycatch rates for each area. In this way the given levels of effort were used to generate likely bycatch totals for the relevant species. Wherever existing recorded bycatch rates suggest total bycatch levels in the region of the take limits further monitoring is proposed. Where existing bycatch records and estimates of fishing effort suggest bycatch rates are likely well below take limits monitoring should not be required. Where existing effort levels and likely bycatch rates suggest total by-catches are likely in excess of the take limits, mitigation measures are proposed. This method of triage for these fisheries is crude but necessary as information remains poor in most regions, especially the Mediterranean and Iberian regions. A review of ongoing mitigation measures in Europe suggests that the measures required under regulation 812/2004 are being poorly implemented in general. Pingers are the most viable method to minimize bycatch, and recent studies have suggested using pingers at wider spacing which would make deployment cheaper for the fisheries involved. The market for pingers is currently so limited that commercial research and development has been stifled though there are promising areas for such work. Other measures include fishery closures, temporary, permanent or area based, changes in gear type, and modifications to gear (technical measures) such as exclusion grids in trawls or stiffened gillnets. Technical measures other than pingers remain to be proven as adequate.

Publications of interest to the Mariculture Comittee

It was decided at the 92nd Annual Science Conference that the Working Group on the Assessment of Southern Shelf Stocks of Hake, Monk and Megrim [WGHMM] (Chair: V. Trujillo, Spain) would meet at Lisbon, Portugal from 10–19 May 2005

Sole in Division IIIa and Subdivision 22-24 (Skagerrak, Kattegat and the Belts); advice for 2011

On the Flounder (Pleuronectes flesus L.) and the danish flounder fishery in the Baltic. This publication is part of Rapport et Proces-Verbaux des Reunions Vol. 78. To see all other articles in this volume, please click on the keyword "RPVR Vol. 78".

The contributions to the Special Scientific Meeting “THE COD” which are submitted herewith show that, during the 20 years that have passed since our last meeting dealing with the cod, very great attention has been paid to a census of the cod stocks. The long series of observations recording length and age compositions of the cod constitute very valuable material, and new facts of paramount importance have been presented. Our plan of arranging all the contributions within a particular frame work may have prevented some interesting observations from appearing, but it has enabled us to present data for a direct comparison of the different stocks examined by various workers. This publication is part of Rapport et Proces-Verbaux des Reunions Vol. 136, which includes all contributions to a special scientific meeting on cod. To see all other articles in this volume, please click on the keyword "RPVR Vol. 136".

In accordance with C. Res.1992/2:10, a joint session of the FAST and FTFB working groups (Chair Dr.W.A.Karp) was convened in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 20 April, 1993 to: a) consider the problems of near-bottom sampling in acoustic surveys and combined trawling/acoustic surveys: b) consider the errors which may arise in near-bottom stock density estimates.

Total landings from the Southem stock of hake by country and gear for the period 1972-1995 as estimated by the Working Group are given in Table 6.1.1. Spanish landings for 1982-1984 period were revised, resulting in a decrease in totallandings of 10% in 1982 and 9% in 1983, and an increase of 2% in 1984, compared to last year's landings estimates.

The Inter-Benchmark Protocol for Baltic Salmon [IBPSalmon] (Chair: Johan Dannewitz, Sweden) met by correspondence between May and December 2012. The work was carried out by members of the Assessment Working Group on Baltic Salm-on and Sea Trout (WGBAST) and two external reviewers, with support from ICES Headquarters, comprising a total of 17 persons. The main objective of the IBP was to improve parts of the assessment model used for Baltic salmon, and produce a Stock Annex to be implemented in 2013 assessment work. The prioritized issues handled during the IBP had earlier been discussed and agreed upon at the WGBAST meeting in 2012. Outcomes of the IBP include 1) inclu-sion in the assessment model of additional data on survival at sea of reared salmon, which is assumed to increase precision in estimates of relative abundance of wild and reared salmon, 2) updated correction factors for discard proportions, and for un-derreporting of tag recaptures, catches and fishing effort, and 3) an updated assess-ment model where maturation rate is allowed to vary over time due to e.g. climate variation, which is assumed to improve estimates of salmon survival and abundance at sea. A few additional issues; inclusion of ecosystem data to improve salmon survival es-timates and stock projections, inclusion of southeastern rivers stocks in the full as-sessment model, and an update of the hierarchical stock–recruit model were also handled but for different reasons the work could not be finalized during the IBP. For these issues, recommendations on progress to be made and identification of data needs are presented.

Under the EU Data Collection Regulation, maturity samples are collected for mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus). These data are used for fishery stock assessment and also for different types of studies regarding the maturation cycles of these species. Several different maturity scales are currently used by different institutes. Most of these scales are used for very specific purposes, and the data produced are difficult to compare or jointly analyse. The Walsh scale, in particular, has been used for 17 years, and is used as routine or for special purposes by most of the observers present at the workshop. Taking into consideration the generic standard scale proposed in a previous workshop (WKMAT), and the characteristics of the mackerel and horse mackerel reproductive cycles, the workshop has proposed a standard scale for these species. The Walsh scale was fitted into this standard scale, which was used in the calibration exercises along with the Walsh scale. Ideally a calibration should be carried out with gonads of a ‘known’ stage. For practical reasons such an exercise was not possible. Therefore, the objective of this workshop was restricted to compare and improve the agreement between observers, assuming that the “correct stage” was the one given to each gonad by the majority of the observers.

WGDEEP 2023 edit/update to stock annex for Tusk (Brosme brosme) in Subarea 14 and Division 5.a (East Greenland, and Iceland grounds).

At the Statutory meeting in 1990, It was decided (C.Res.1990/2: 10) that the Statistics Committee Liaison Working Group (chaired by the Chairman of the Statisties Committee) will meet at ICES Headquarters for two days in January 1992 to: a) prepare the ICES position for the CWP meeting in July 1992; b) review the euerent status of the STATLANT and ICES. statistics programmes with particular emphasis given to the continued existence of the STATLANT 278 reporting requirement; c) consider any other topics relevant to the ICES statisties programme.

Total catches from the Northern stock of hake by area for the period 1961-1996 as estimated by the Working Group are given in Table 5.1.1. Spain and France mainly exploit this stock (taking respectively 60% and 25% of the total) with VK, Ireland, Denmark and Norway contributing small amounts.

The Acting Chair, Dr S.Rowlatt, opened the meeting of the Working Group on Marine Sediments in Relation to Pollution (WGMS) at 10.00 hrs on 5 March 2001 at the Instituto Hidrografico, Lisboa. Technical Director Augusto Ezequiel gave a speech of welcome. Dr Rowlatt thanked Mr Ezequiel and outlined the programme for the week.

For 1998 ICES recommended a substantial reduction of fishing mortality, at least to 0.15 corresponding to a catch of 150,000 t in 1998. Similarly for 1999 it was adviced that the catches should be effectively limited to no more than 200,000 t. This was aimed at maintaining the SSB above that which produced the 1982 year class. EU has set TACs for horse mackerel since 1989 in Division Vb (EU waters only), Sub areas VI and VII, Divisions VIIIa,b,d,e. These areas do not correspond to the total distribution area of western horse mackerel. The TAC should apply to all areas where western horse mackerel are fished. During the period 1994-1997 the TAC set by EU was 300,000 t, 320,000 t in 1998 and 265,000 t in 1999.

EDITOR'S REPORT ON TECHNIQUES IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (TIMES) FOR 1993

The error structure in fish-abundance estimates from echo-integrator surveys is reviewed. The accuracy (i.e.. bias) and precision (i.e., variance) of acoustic estimates are considered. Errors are divided into those arising from 1) the measurement of equipment/acoustic parameters in the echo-integration equation, and 2) the design of the survey. The impact of fish behavior on both categories is discussed.

This document considers banking and borrowing scenarios for a selection of Man-agement scenarios previously considered in a Management Strategy Evaluation of North Sea saithe, conducted in 2012. It concludes that if banking and borrowing sce-narios are realised in practice in a similar way to the various forms tested, then they should not have a substantially detrimental effect on these Management scenarios (in terms of risk and yield).

This data call aims to collate data describing fishing effort, monitoring/sampling effort, and bycatch event records of protected and sensitive species from 2022. These data will be used by WGBYC to support the provision of ICES management advice on the wider effects of fishing activity.

This study describes the muscle fibre type distribution and the swimming activity in early stages of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell). It also describes the influence of different diets on muscle fibre numbers and muscle fibre diameters of Clarias larvae. Yolk-sac larvae of Clarias have a superficial monolayer of red muscle fibres that surrounds inner “white” muscle. At about 11 mm length (larvae fed for 3 days on Artemia), an adult­like fibre type distribution begins to appear. One day after hatching, the larvae (about 5 mm total length) show nearly continuous stationary activity interrupted by slow swimming (velocity 2.4 ± 0 .9 body length per second (BL s-1)). This activity is probably powered by the superficial red fibres. Stimulation of the larvae results in burst-swimming with an initial velocity of at least 17 BL s-1, which is probably powered by the inner white fibres. After yolk-sac absorption the time spent in stationary activity and swimming decreases. From the start of feeding, a group of larvae was fed with Artemia and another group with dry food. Larvae fed for 3 d on Artemia and larvae fed for 5 d on dry food have similar length, similar white muscle fibre sizes, and similar white muscle fibre numbers. This indicates that muscle develop­ment is related to the length of the larvae, rather than to age. Article from Marine Science Symposia Vol. 201 - "Mass rearing of juvenile fish". Symposium held in Bergen, 21-23 June 1993. To access the remaining articles please click on the keyword "MSS Vol. 201".

Progress of the ICES Study Group on the North Sea Benthos Project (NSBP) 2000 was achieved mainly by correspondence, following its final annual meeting at NIOZ, Texel in April 2006. However, an inter-sessional workshop was also held at VLIZ, Ostende, in November 2006 in order to promote progress in the reporting of products arising from the analyses and interpretation of the data. The Study Group has concentrated on the production of an ICES Co-operative Research Report (CRR) and associated peer-reviewed publications. We have agreed a timetable with ICES for finalising the CRR text, in order for it to be published prior to the 2007 ICES Annual Science Conference, where a Theme Session on the ‘Structure and dynamics of the benthos in ICES waters’ is being held. This will include several papers on the outcome of the NSBP 2000. Presently (April 2007), the Study Group has completed the majority of CRR chapters and is also finalising a policy for future access to the NSBP 2000 database with the data contributors. The support of VLIZ (Belgium) for database development and maintenance proved to be invaluable to the Study Group, and this support will continue. We are also finalising guidelines on authorship and acknowledgements of NSBP products by future users, which will be deposited on the website. The work of the Study Group will be completed on publication of the CRR and the presentation of outcomes at the 2007 ICES Annual Science Conference. It is recommended that the initial planning of future sea-wide synoptic surveys of the benthos under ICES auspices (which the Study Group supports) should revert to the ICES Benthos Ecology Working Group.

The group met at the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway, on 24 -27 January 1995. The main task of the group was to specify, plan and organise work on boreal multispecies models to be carried out in advance of, and at the meeting of the Multispecies Assessment Working Group in Bergen from 21 - 28 June

At the 1994 ICES Annual Science Conference, resolution 2:51 was adopted as folIows: The Working Group on Recruitment Processes (Chainnan: Or P. Pepin, Canada) will work by correspondence in 1995, and report to the 1995 Annual Science Conference, to: a) develop a workshop to be held in June 1996 in Canada entitled "Towards an Otolith Growth Model" (Chairman: Dr S. Campana); b) plan a meeting in 1996 to: i) review the outcome of the Workshop "Towards an Otolith Growth Model" and identify further steps to be taken, ii) review progress with the Study Group on Spatial and Temporal Integration, iii) review progress in the application of size based theory to recruitment problems and in particular. -develop explieitly relationships between mortality and body size in early Iife and carry out sensitivity analyses to detennine which parameters are most sensitive to changes in size specific survival, -examine stage specific survival rates and their variability, and detennine how variability changes with stage development, -determine whether there are critical stages or sizes where variability in rates change significantly; . iv) review progress in the application of otolith elemental analysis to recruitment problems.

Two different management models for sea ranching of cod are outlined. These differ by timing of recapture. The mathematics for determining the "break-even" cost of producing cod juveniles is presented. Data from two sea ranching projects in the western part of South Norway and data for wild cod in North Norway indicate that these costs must be significantly reduced if sea ranching of cod is to be profitable for Norwegian fishermen. We also assume that cod from a sea ranching project can be harvested as a supplement to a traditional catch of wild cod at lower costs than if cod must be taken in a unilaterally targeted catch operation.

Results of investigations conducted in Finland on the populations of flounder, cod, and turbot. Publication in German. Article from Rapports et proces-verbaux des reunions Vol. 5. To access the remaining articles please click on the keyword "RPVR Vol. 5".

At the 86 th Annual Science Conference in 1997, it was decided (C. Res. 199712:35) that a Study Group on Stockrecruitment Relationships for North Sea Autumn-spawning herring will meet in Lowestoft, UK from 26-28 May 1998 to: • a) establish the data series of recruitments and SSB for as long aperiod as possible, b) investigate the performance of different stock-recruitment models, c) propose standard models to be used for different purposes.

Note on version 2: the original WKBCOD report published in April 2023 had some errors since the description of the final model in the report was mistakenly based on an intermediate model fit. Corrections were made to the executive summary and section 13.2 on June 12 2023. All updated text, values, and figures are indicated with footnotes. The North Sea cod stock was last benchmarked in 2021 including a workshop on Stock Identification of North Sea Cod (WKNSCodID) reviewing the population structure information on the cod in the North Sea and adjacent waters. The workshop concluded that the North Sea includes different stock components of Viking and Dogger cod, and that the Dogger cod population extends to the West of Scotland (6.a.N). However, it was not possible to develop spatial approaches in time for the benchmark in 2021 because of (1) unexplained discrepancies between spatially disaggregated data and the data as used in the current North Sea assessment; and (2) the constraint that the 6.a stock was not included in the benchmark process. Nevertheless, the North Sea cod assessment was improved by revising the survey indices, biological data, and SAM assessment model configuration, thus lessening the data and assessment issues that had triggered the benchmark process. ICES recommended that further work be conducted on a data call to consider the different stock components as well as inclusion of the West of Scotland cod stock in the evaluation. This stock was last benchmarked in 2020 at WKDEM (ICES, 2020). Several pre-data meetings were conducted with the data providers to ensure that the data asked for in the data call met the requirement of the stock assessors, and were realistic to provide for the relevant countries. The data set on landings for the substocks components covering 1995–2021 were evaluated at the data evaluation meeting and was found appropriate to use for the assessment. Presently the North Sea cod time series starts in 1963 and it would therefore be beneficial if the landings by substock could be extended further back in time. For the landings data covering the time period 1963–1995, ICES has a historic database with information on annual cod landings by area. It was decided to investigate if these data could be converted into landings by substock with some country specific assumptions. Also, recreational data were requested in the data call. However, very different quality levels for these data, with many missing years, were submitted by countries; therefore, it was decided that it is currently not possible to incorporate recreational data in the analytic stock assessment. It was concluded that catch level could, as in previous years, be given as a supplementary information in the WGNSSK report. A workshop on including recreational catches in stock assessment has been planned for in April 2023. As the substocks are considered mixed in Q3-4, a combined index for the whole area was evaluated during the data evaluation meeting. It was decided to combine the survey data for Q3 and Q4 to ensure a full stock area coverage. As the substocks are considered separate in Q1, it was decided to split the Q1 indices based on the assumption that all fish observed during the Q1 surveys can be allocated to substocks based on where they were found. Given mixing is assumed to occur during Q3 and Q4, the decision was made to let the Q3+4 index remain aggregated and representative of the total stock. To allow testing with as many ages as possible in SAM, it was agreed to prepare indices with a 7+ group for the benchmark meeting. A multi-stock (SAM) model was developed to take into account the substock structure in Northern Self cod stocks. This new model is estimated using substock Q1 survey indices and information about substock fishery catch compositions, as well as catch and survey indices that are only available as a sum for the substocks. For example, yearly catch-at-age data from the North Sea is only available as a sum of the catch of the Southern, Northwestern, and Viking stocks. Furthermore, the model can include genotype data to estimate stock- or catch-compositions. The benchmark meeting decided to use the BioPar option in the multi-stock (SAM) model for maturity, stock weights, and natural mortality. Three options were explored to address data deficiencies for maturities derived from Q1 surveys prior to 1990. New procedures were used to calculate catch and stock weights-at-age. The stochastic multi-species model SMS estimates of natural mortality rates were used for the three substocks assessed. Many configurations and sensitivity analyses of the multi-stock model were reviewed during the benchmark meeting. In the final preferred model formulation, stock dynamics were modelled from 1983 onwards. The substock model could not be reliably extended prior to 1983 because of a lack of substock information about landings. Another motivation for truncating the assessment time-series was that there were no maturity estimates prior to 1983 to derive SSB. These values had to be assumed. Hence, the meeting concluded that the assessment model time-period should be constrained to 1983-present. However, the full landings time-series from 1963 onwards still provides some historic perspective on the size of the total stock during 1963–1982. Estimates from the preferred model indicated that the Southern stock SSB decline steadily from around 21 600 tonnes in 1983 to 2700 in 2020, followed by a small increase in both 2021 and 2022. The northwestern stock was the largest component; during 1983 to 1997 its SSB fluctuated around 49 500 tonnes, followed by a large decline to 14 700 in 2005 and a generally increasing trend since then, except for 2017–2020. Throughout the period, the Viking stock SSB fluctuated around 14 000 tonnes[1]. Single combined-stock SAM models were also investigated during the benchmark meeting. Their results were very consistent with the multi-stock model results when combined for the three substocks, but the residual diagnostics were problematic for the single-stock SAM, and the retrospective pattern was at best borderline acceptable. The benchmark concluded that the multi-stock model was better suited to support the intended management options for northern shelf cod. There is evidence from the literature of three recruitment periods or productivity regimes for cod in the North Sea: before 1988, between 1988 and 1998, and after 1998. The benchmark meeting consensus from the multi-stock model results was that all three substocks had higher recruitment rates (i.e., recruits per spawner) prior to 1997; that is, there were two recruitment regimes since 1983. Hence, the benchmark meeting consensus was that reference points should be based on the stock-recruit times-series since 1997, the last three years for selectivity, and the last 5 or 10 years for other biological parameters. However, agreement to split the stock-recruit time-series was not unanimous, and an alternative perspective is documented in this report. The meeting report documents a minority statement from Swedish participants. They did not agree with the setting of the Btrigger reference points, which they suggested were too low and should have been set at 50% of BMSY, at a minimum. The benchmark process provided many research recommendations dealing with these topics: 1) catch sampling programs that take the new cod substock structure into account, 2) improved genetic sampling information for the substocks, 3) M information for each substock, 4) substock specific landings fractions and catch weights-at-age, 5) further simulation testing of the multi-stock model, 6) fecundity information for the substocks. [1] The values in this paragraph were corrected in version 2 of the WKBCOD report.

ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, catches in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 should be no more than 29 249 tonnes. If discard rates do not change from the average of the last three years (2019–2021), this implies landings of no more than 3074 tonnes.

Relevant background information is given in Sections 2 and 3. Section 2 deals with existing assessment models and with some problems which have been encountered in the assessment of Northeast Arctic cod. Section 3 gives a description of FLEKSIBEST (model and data). In Section 4 the results of hands-on exploration of FLEKSIBEST (ToR b) are described. The interpretation of the results from actual FLEKSIBEST runs (ToR c) are also considered in this section. A more general discussion of how to interpret results from a model of this kind is given in Sections 5.1-5.4, and guidelines for future work are given in Section 6. These sections address the workplan request in ToR a). During the meeting, this request was redefined from definition of a workplan for testing of FLEKSIBEST to definition of tools and approaches for analysis of models of this kind. How a model (e.g. FLEKSIBEST) can be certified for use as an ICES stock assessment tool (ToR a) is described in Section 5.5.Relevant background information is given in Sections 2 and 3. Section 2 deals with existing assessment models and with some problems which have been encountered in the assessment of Northeast Arctic cod. Section 3 gives a description of FLEKSIBEST (model and data). In Section 4 the results of hands-on exploration of FLEKSIBEST (ToR b) are described. The interpretation of the results from actual FLEKSIBEST runs (ToR c) are also considered in this section. A more general discussion of how to interpret results from a model of this kind is given in Sections 5.1-5.4, and guidelines for future work are given in Section 6. These sections address the workplan request in ToR a). During the meeting, this request was redefined from definition of a workplan for testing of FLEKSIBEST to definition of tools and approaches for analysis of models of this kind. How a model (e.g. FLEKSIBEST) can be certified for use as an ICES stock assessment tool (ToR a) is described in Section 5.5.Relevant background information is given in Sections 2 and 3. Section 2 deals with existing assessment models and with some problems which have been encountered in the assessment of Northeast Arctic cod. Section 3 gives a description of FLEKSIBEST (model and data). In Section 4 the results of hands-on exploration of FLEKSIBEST (ToR b) are described. The interpretation of the results from actual FLEKSIBEST runs (ToR c) are also considered in this section. A more general discussion of how to interpret results from a model of this kind is given in Sections 5.1-5.4, and guidelines for future work are given in Section 6. These sections address the workplan request in ToR a). During the meeting, this request was redefined from definition of a workplan for testing of FLEKSIBEST to definition of tools and approaches for analysis of models of this kind. How a model (e.g. FLEKSIBEST) can be certified for use as an ICES stock assessment tool (ToR a) is described in Section 5.5.

The Chairman, Dr H. Rees, opened the meeting of the ICES/OSPAR Steering Group on Quality Assurance of Biologieal Measurements Related to Eutrophieation Effects (SGQAE) at ICES Headquarters in Copenhagen at 10.00 hrs on 18 February 1997. A list ofparticipants at the meeting is given in Annex I.

This report is a partial summary of the research and development on mariculture in Canada, based on information provided by researchers in universities, government and private research institutions.

A Study Group for Long-Term Advice [SGLTA] (Chair: P. Degnbol, Denmark) will be established and will meet at ICES Headquarters from 23–27 February 2004 to: review the approach presented by the Working Group on Methods of Fish Stock Assessments regarding conservation limits and long term reference points and plan implementation by the Assessment Working Groups; review developments in stock assessment methodology in relation to the implementation in the Assessment Working Groups; review and plan implementation of long-term management simulations and evaluations of recovery plans and harvest control rules as presented by the Working Group on Methods of Fish Stock Assessments; review progress made by the Study Group on the Development of Fishery-based Forecasts and plan implementation of fisheries-based advice by the Assessment Working Groups; respond to feedback from meeting to be held by NSCFP in October 2003. The TORs focus on the output from SGDFF and the Methods WG. However, the changes to be introduced in the advisory process in 2004 are such that it was relevant to review these changes based on the MCAP report as well. The meeting also served as a forum to discuss various issues regarding the work of assessment working groups in 2004.