The precision of international market sampling for North Sea herring and its influence on assessment

Market sampling is a key source of data for catch-at-age-based assessment. Little has been documented about the influence of potential error in these data on the precision of assessments and the management information they produce. This paper presents the results of a study of the precision of North Sea herring fish market sampling carried out by the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands. Data from eight years of market sampling were analysed to obtain the precision of estimated numbers-at-age in the catch. The market sample data was then used to estimate 1000 realisations of the international catch-at-age and mean weightsat- age in the catch. Three methods of estimating the variability of missing catch data were used and three options for the catch-at-age matrices were computed. These base datasets were utilised to obtain 1000 assessments conditional on the ICA (Integrated Catch-at-age Analysis) model. From the outcome of these assessments the influence of the market sampling programmes on the management of the stock are presented as 95␌onfidence intervals on the main management parameters (recruitment, SSB, F0-1 and F2-6). In addition, the influence of missing data is estimated. The implications of our conclusions on the requirements from a market sampling programme are discusse

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Impact assessment of multi-annual plans for Baltic cod (STECF-11-05)

A joint ICES / STECF meeting was held in Hamburg 20-24 June 2011, to prepare Impact Assessments for Southern hake, Nerphrops and Angler fish and Baltic cod and an Evaluations of existing plans for Kattegat, North Sea, West of Scotland and Irish Sea cod. The meeting involved STECF, ICES scientists dealing with Economy and Biology and included Observers (Commission staff, Managers, Stakeholders). Three separate reports to the STECF were prepared by the EWG-11-07, one on the Impact Assessment of Southern hake, Nerphrops and Angler fish (STECF 11-06) and another on the Impact Assessments for Baltic cod (STECF 11-05) and the third on the Evaluation of Cod in Kattegat, North Sea, West of Scotland and Irish Sea (STECF 11-07). All reports were reviewed by the STECF during its 37th plenary meeting held from 11 to 15 July 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The observations, conclusions and recommendations, in this report represent the outcomes of the Impact Assessment of Multi-Annual plans for cod in the Baltic

The role of fisheries data in the development evaluation and impact assessment in support of European fisheries plans

The European Commission has two formal requirements for developing multi-annual management plan policies: evaluation of the past performance of existing plans and impact assessments (IAs) of the potential benefits of new proposals. The new policies require the evaluation of fishery management in terms of three specific criteria: (i) effectiveness, i. e. the best method to achieve the objectives; (ii) efficiency, the cost-effectiveness, and proportionality; and (iii) consistency, i. e. limiting trade-offs across economic, social, and environmental domains. To develop policy, there is a need to collect relevant information, then to conduct appropriate analyses that provide documentation to support the policy objectives. This paper discusses the data requirements for good environmental, economic, and social understanding of fishery dynamics and management, describing how fishery data are currently linked to the analytical and management evaluation process using examples from 2009 and 2010. The type of information currently used is considered, along with the timetable of data availability, and its effect on historical evaluation and IAs, which are now formally required when any changes to legislation are proposed in the European Union, including following stakeholder consultation. The possibilities and future needs for such data are discussed

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Impact assessment of multi-annual plans for Southern hake, angler fish and Nephrops (STECF-11-06)

A joint ICES / STECF meeting was held in Hamburg 20-24 June 2011, to prepare an impact assessment for Southern hake, Nerphrops and Angler fish and Baltic cod and an Evaluations of existing plans for Kattegat, North Sea, West of Scotland and Irish Sea cod. The meeting involved STECF, ICES scientists dealing with Economy and Biology and included Observers (Commission staff, Managers, Stakeholders). Three separate reports to the STECF were prepared by the EWG-11- 07, one on the Impact Assessment of Southern hake, Nerphrops and Angler fish (STECF 11-06) and the second on the Impact Assessments for Baltic cod (STECF 11-05) and the third on the Evaluation of Cod in Kattegat, North Sea, West of Scotland and Irish Sea (STECF 11-07). All reports were reviewed by the STECF during its 37th plenary meeting held from 11 to 15 July 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The following observations, conclusions and recommendations represent the outcomes of that review for Southern hake, Nerphrops and Angler fish report

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Evaluation of multi-annual plans for cod in Irish Sea, Kattegat, North Sea, and West of Scotland (STECF-11-07)

A joint ICES / STECF meeting was held in Hamburg 20-24 June 2011, to prepare an impact assessment for Southern hake, Nerphrops and Angler fish and Baltic cod and an Evaluations of existing plans for Kattegat, North Sea, West of Scotland and Irish Sea cod. The meeting involved STECF, ICES scientists dealing with Economy and Biology and included Observers (Commission staff, Managers, Stakeholders). Three separate reports to the STECF were prepared by the EWG-11- 07, one on the Impact Assessment of Southern hake, Nerphrops and Angler fish (STECF 11-06) and another on the Impact Assessments for Baltic cod (STECF 11-05) and the third on the Evaluation of Cod in Kattegat, North Sea, West of Scotland and Irish Sea (STECF 11-07). All reports were reviewed by the STECF during its 37th plenary meeting held from 11 to 15 July 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The observations, conclusions and recommendations, in this report represent the outcomes of the Evaluation of Multi-Annual plans for cod in Kattegat, North Sea, Irish Sea and West of Scotland

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Impact assessment of Bay of Biscay sole (STECF-11-01)

This report is one of two reports to the STECF of EWG 11-01 of the STECF Expert Working Group on management plans, (28 February to 4 March 2011) and provides an Impact Assessment report on the Bay of Biscay sole fisheries. It summaries biological modelling of a range of different stock dynamics incorporating uncertainty in stock recruitment function and measurement error. The results from an integrated bio-economic model showing economic impact on the sole fishery in the Bay of Biscay are presented. The simulations carried out show that a target F of 0.26 (Fmsy ) can be accepted as precautionary in the long term. Target Fs between 0.15 and 0.35 will give yields within 5% of yield at F=0.26. Economic considerations suggest that the management plan is expected to have slight long term gains and short term negative economic impacts for all the fleets involved in the sole fishery. The economic viability of fleets is not endangered and effort reallocation is expected to offset losses although it is difficult to predict such reallocation. The report provides details of approaches that could be used if the ICES assessment fails. The report has been endorsed by the STECF during its 36th plenum in April 2011

37^th plenary meeting report of the scientific, technical and economic committee for fisheries (PLEN-11-02)

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries hold its 37th plenary on 11-15 July 2011 in Copenhagen (Denmark). The terms of reference included both issues assessments of STECF Expert Working Group reports and additional requests submitted to the STECF by the Commission. Topics dealt with ranged from fisheries economics to management plan evaluation issues

Seasonal forecast skill for extratropical cyclones and windstorms

Extratropical cyclones and their associated extreme wind speeds are a major cause of vast damage and large insured losses in several European countries. Reliable seasonal predictions of severe extratropical winter cyclones and associated windstorms would thus have great social and economic benefits, especially in the insurance sector. We analyse the climatological representation and assess the seasonal prediction skill of wintertime extratropical cyclones and windstorms in three multi-member seasonal prediction systems: ECMWF-System3, ECMWF-System4 and Met Office-GloSea5, based on hindcasts over a 20-year period (1992–2011). Small to moderate positive skill in forecasting the winter frequency of extratropical cyclones and windstorms is found over most of the Northern Hemisphere. The skill is highest for extratropical cyclones at the downstream end of the Pacific storm track and for windstorms at the downstream end of the Atlantic storm track. We also assess the forecast skill of windstorm frequency by using the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) as the predictor. Prediction skill improves when using this technique over parts of the British Isles and North Sea in GloSea5 and ECMWF-System4, but reduces over central western Europe. This suggests that using the NAO is a simple and effective method for predicting windstorm frequency, but that increased forecast skill can be achieved in some regions by identifying windstorms directly using an objective tracking algorithm. Consequently, in addition to the large-scale influence of the NAO, other factors may contribute to the predictability of windstorm frequency seen in existing forecast suites, across impact-relevant regions of Europe. Overall, this study reveals for the first time significant skill in forecasting the winter frequency of high-impact windstorms ahead of the season in regions that are vulnerable to such events.</p

Track D Social Science, Human Rights and Political Science

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138414/1/jia218442.pd

State of the world’s plants and fungi 2020

Kew’s State of the World’s Plants and Fungi project provides assessments of our current knowledge of the diversity of plants and fungi on Earth, the global threats that they face, and the policies to safeguard them. Produced in conjunction with an international scientific symposium, Kew’s State of the World’s Plants and Fungi sets an important international standard from which we can annually track trends in the global status of plant and fungal diversity