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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.Anumber 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

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries hold its 43rd plenary on 8-12 July 2013 in Brussels (Belgium). The terms of referenceincluded both issues assessments of STECF Expert Working Group reports and additional requests submitted to the STECF by the Commission. Topicsdealt were inter alia assessments of the economic performance of the EU fishing fleet, fishing effort regime evaluations, future EU data collection, andreview of stock advice.

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries hold its 41st plenary on 5-9 November 2012 in Brussels (Belgium). The terms ofreference included both issues assessments of STECF Expert Working Group reports and additional requests submitted to the STECF by the Commission.Topics dealt were inter alia assessments of Mediterranean and Black Sea stocks, evaluations of fishing effort regimes, technical measures, review ofscientific advice on stocks and fisheries of EU interest, fisheries management plans evaluation issues.

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries hold its 39th plenary on 16-20 April 2012 in Brussels (Belgium). The terms of referenceincluded both issues assessments of STECF Expert Working Group reports and additional requests submitted to the STECF by the Commission. Topicsdealt with ranged from fisheries economics to management plan evaluation issues.

This corrigendum should replace the corresponding section 8.4 of the 38th Plenary meeting report of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (PLEN-11-03). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, EUR 25033 EN, JRC67714.

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries hold its 36th plenary on 11-15 April 2011 in Barza d'Ispra (Italy). 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[...]

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries hold its 36th plenary on 11-15 April 2011 in Barza d’Ispra (Italy). 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.

EWG-11-11 meeting was held on 26 – 30 September 2011 in Cadiz (Spain). This Section of the report covers the Deep Sea and Western Waters and provides fleet specific trends in catch (including discards), nominal effort and catch (landings) per unit of effort in order to advise on fleet specific impacts on stocks under multiannual management plans. STECF reviewed the report during its November 2011 plenary meeting.

English summary: This telephone survey showed that 4.2% of Danish adults over 16 years old have extreme dental anxiety and 6% have moderate fear in a sample of 565 adults from Århus (Table 1). Common perceptions as to the causes of dental fear indicated that most believed it to be due to pain, especially from drilling and thereafter trauma or negative experiences leading to distrust of the dentist (Table 1). It was interesting to note that although up to 40% of the sample expressed some degree of fear for dentistry, 81.1% said that they know of at least two persons who have dental fear (16.2% know of over ten persons). The most common ways that people have been informed about dental anxiety as a problem is from other non-medical persons (56.6%), then in order: newspapers/magazines (32.7%), TV (14.2%), radio (5.8%), dentists (4.1%) and other medical personnel (2.8%). Characteristics of dental anxiety by the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) indicated significant associations between high dental anxiety and gender (women) (Table 2) and low education (Table 3), but not income or age (Table 2). Other significant relationships with high dental fear were fear of specific dental procedures, negative dentist behaviors, general fear and avoidance of dental visits (Table 4). A logististic regression model (Table 5) indicated a difference between extreme (phobic) dental anxiety and moderate dental anxiety in the relative strength of the independent variables, especially for negative dentist behaviors, general fear tendency and women. It was recommended that interested general dentists learn to recognize these differences clinically and that they use the DAS (ref.nr. 11) and Geer Fear Scale (ref.nr. 17) in clinical diagnosis of dental anxiety.

During the period 12 March to 20 July 1990 the spawning area of the North Sea mackerel was investigated by research vessels from the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Based on the plankton samples and temperature observations obtained during this period the egg production and spawning stock size were estimated. The estimated total egg production of mackerel (53 x 10^12 eggs) represents a spawning stock biomass of 78 000 tonnes, which is about twice the estimate in 1988.

Four herring acoustic surveys coordinated by ICES were carried out by Scottish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish research vessels during the period 28 June to 9 August 1989. The reports on the individual surveys, giving a short description of the survey, and a presentation of the results, are collected in this paper. The combined estimated spawning stock biomasses of herring were 1.6 million tonnes autumn spawners and 255 000 tonnes of spring spawners. The combined results are discussed in the paper.

An acoustic survey in the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat was carried out in July-August 1987 by vessels from Denmark and Norway. This paper gives the distribution and the abundance estimates for mackerel.

Four herring acoustic surveys coordinated by ICES were carried out by Scottish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish vessels during the period 24 June to 19 August 1988. The reports on the individual surveys, giving a short description of the survey, and a presentation of the results, are collected in this paper.

During the period 22 May to 17 July the spawning area of North Sea mackerel was investigated by research vessels from Scotland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Based on the 629 plankton samples and temperature observations obtained during this period the egg production and spawning stock size were estimated.

During the period 5 April to 28 July 1988 the spawning areas of North Sea mackerel and horse mackerel were investigated by research vessels from the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Based on the plankton samples and temperature observations obtained during this period the egg production and spawning stock size were estimated. The total egg production of mackerel represents a spawning stock biomass of 37 000 tonnes, which is about 20 % less than the 1986 estimate. The total egg production of horse mackerel represents a spawning stock size of 110 000 tonnes.