Fishn’Co - Strengthening EU data collection of fisheries by developing Regional Work Plans

Uniforming the processed and methodology of fisheries data collection improves the coordination between institutes and member states responsible in EU-DCF data collection. The project aims is to improve the regional coordination work of data collection to ensure the availability of relevant and good quality data to the end users (ICES expert groups etc.) and consequently support the decision making associated to the utilization of European fish resources and to the habitat management.

Luke will participate to the development of Regional Work plan for Baltic region (RWP Baltic) as a part of EU fisheries data collection programme (EU-DCF). As a part of this process, in the future some data collections elements presently included in National Work Plans (NWP's) will be reported in Regional Work Plan (RWP).

As a part of Fishn'co-project, the assessment of stock status of salmon, sea trout and eel stocks will be re-evaluated, in order to solve possibilities to include the collection of the following data elements into an RWP framework 1) Collection of harmonised catch and effort data from commercial and recreational fisheries 2) Index rivers for salmon, sea trout and eel 3) Electrofishing survey programs – harmonization of methods, comparability of results.

Part of the project concerning economic data collection will build on knowledge gained through SECFISH for socio-economics and the outcomes of the pilot studies carried out under the last EU Map pilot studies. The project is entirely devoted to providing added value to PGECON and work in complement to them with the specific goal of proposing elements of Work Plan.