Working Group on International Deep Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (WGIDEEPS)

The objective of The Working Group on International Deep Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (WGIDEEPS) is to plan and conduct international deep pelagic ecosystem surveys in the Irminger Sea and adjacent waters and in the Norwegian and Barents Seas. The main focus of the group is to measure abundance and map the distribution of beaked redfish (Sebastes mentella). The participating nations are Germany, Iceland, Norway and Russia. The group had some success transferring data from the WGIDEEPS surveys into the ICES-DATRAS data-base including the Norwegian Sea International Deep Pelagic Surveys (NS-IDPS) for 2009, 2013, and 2016, and the Icelandic Irminger Sea International Deep Pelagic Surveys (IS-IDPS) for 2009. This will allow for future efficient and transparent access to WGIDEEPS data. The group discussed a new method for the estimation of abundance and biomass of redfish in the deeper layers in the Irminger Sea. Testing of this proposed method should be a future goal. The group also aimed to set up a formal procedure for the use and transfer of Norwegian survey data to other ICES groups including Arctic Fisheries Working Group (AFWG) and The Working Group on the Integrated Assessments of the Norwegian Sea (WGINOR). Estimated numbers-at-age from the pelagic sur-vey in the Norwegian Sea were presented at the 2018 benchmark assessment and used in the analytical assessment for the stock. The 2017 Workshop on Monitoring Technologies for the Mesopelagic Zone (WKMESO) improved collabo-ration with other ICES expert groups and WGIDEEPS plans to continue developing pathways for improved coordination...