“North Sea RAC and GAP2 researchers discussed science needs to support Long Term Management Plans”
CEFAS attended the North Sea Regional Advisory Council (NSRAC) Demersal working group meeting held on September 2011 in Amsterdam, to discuss the possibility of working with the RAC on the development of the science and knowledge relating to multi-species and mixed fishery aspects of Long Term Management Plans.
The RAC are working toward developing LTMPs as the basis for regional management of fisheries. The NSRAC have been working on a LTMP for Nephrops fisheries, which is now in an advanced stage. High priority is also being given to developing a LTMP for fisheries that catch whiting, and here we discussed how CEFAS scientists can help provide scientific support to the RAC.
It was agreed that CEFAS scientists would be invited to the next meeting of the Whiting LTMP development group, expected in the near future.
Building on the ideas presented at the meeting, CEFAS scientists would prepare in advance a worked example of how Management Strategy Evaluation procedures could be used in helping the RAC to identify fishery and ecological trade-offs for alternative management scenarios.
