Arctic Fisheries Working Group (AFWG; outputs from 2022 meeting)

Abstract

On 30th March 2022, all Russian participation in ICES was suspended. Although the announcement of the suspension stressed the role of ICES as a “multilateral science organization”, this suspension applied not only to research activities but also to the ICES work providing fisheries advice for the sustainable management of fish stocks and ecosystems. As a result of the suspension, it is not possible to run ICES stock assessments or provide ICES advice for the Barents Sea stocks of NEA cod, NEA haddock, Sebastes mentella or Greenland Halibut, as management and data collection for these stocks are shared between Norway and Russia. There are therefore no AFWG stock assessments for these stocks this year. This is especially unfortunate as NEA cod is currently declining, and updated assessments are required to ensure an appropriate management response. It is to be hoped that the political decision to exclude Russia from the ICES advice process which underlies our sustainable fisheries management does not lead to mismanagement of the shared stocks and the consequent ecological harm.