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International Council for theExploration of the Sea

C.M.1979/Gen:l

OBSERVERS' REPORTS FROM COLLABORATING ORGANISATIONS

Compte Rendu de la lere R~union Extraordinaire de la CommissionInternationale Pour la Conservation des Thonides de l'Atlantique 1

Report on the Fifth Meeting of the Interim Baltic MarineEnvironment Protection Commission •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4

Report of the Fifth Meeting of the Oslo Commission ••••••••••••• 7

Report of the 17-th Annual Meeting of NEAFC •••••••••••••••••••• 10

Report of the First Meeting of the Paris Commission •••••••••••• 12

Compte Rendu da 1a R~union de 1a Commission Internationale desPeches de l'Atlantique Sud-Est ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 14

Report of the El1eventh Session of the IOC Executive Counci1 ••• 16

Compte Rendu de 1a Reunion Conjointe ICNAF/NAFO •••••••••••••••• 18

Fourteenth General Meeting of SCOR, Brest, France13-18 November 1978 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20

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COMPTE RENDU DE LA 1~rc REUNION EXTRAORDINAIRE

DE LA COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE POUR LA COUSERVATION

DES THONIDES DE L' ATIMITIQUE

par

R. Letaconnoux

La premiere reunion extraordinaire de la Commission interna tion.:llc

pour la Conscrvation des Thonides rle l'Atlantique s'est tenue a Madrid, du

15 au 21 novembre 1978. Elle avait ete precedee, du 8 au 14 novembre 1978,

par une reunion du Comite sur la recherche et les statistiques (SCRES).

Les delegations de 15 pays membres etaient presentes (Sresil, CcJ.n.:ld.:l,

Cuba, Espagne, Franee, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Japon, Coree, Maroe, Portugal,

Afrique du Sud, Etats-Unis, Senegal, U.R.S.S.). D'autres pays etaient repr~­

sentes en tant qu'observateu~ainsi que des organisations internationales

(FAO et CEE).

Les points importants qui ont fait l'objet des discussions sont

les suivcJ.nts :

1. ALBACORE

11 a ete eonstate que les eaptures d'albacore des peeheries de

surfaee ont ete en aeeroissement eonstant depuis les dernieres annees. Elles

sont passees notamment de 100 000 tonnes a 110 000 tonnes de 1977 a 1978.

L'effort de peehe est toujours en augmentation; quant aux prises

par unite d'effort, elles ont fait l'objet de discussions entre les seienti­

fiques, une partie d'entre-eux indiquant que eelles-ei decroissaient et d'au­

tres qu'elles etaient stables. I1 faut tenir compte eependant du fait que les

prises se sont aeerues a cause de l'extension de l'effort de peche au large

des cotes de .1'Afrique de l'ouest. Les stocks etant largement exploites, il

eonviendrait de s'efforeer d'appliquer d'une maniere tres striete la mesure

de limitation de taille marchande de 3,2 kg en vigueur depuis 1974.

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2. LISTAO

Le~ prises de list~o sont toujüurs en h~usse d'~nee en unnee.

Cepend~t, la situation des stock~ parait toujours excellente et les scien­

tifiques ont admin que cette esp~ce pourr.J.i t faire l'objet d 'une exploi ta­

tion plus importante.

Tl Y acependant un m~que de connaissunces generales sur 1a struc­

ture des stocks et c'est la raison pour laquelle il a ete propose une etude

pilrticuliere intitulce "programme listilo", s'etendant sur plusieurs annees

(1979-1982). Ce programmeJpresente par le Conseil en 1975 et mis au point

sur le vu d'une etude ORSTOM par un graupe de travail reuni en aoQt 1977 aMildrid, doit porter sur l'ensemble de l'Atlantique et utiliser des moyens

materiels importilnts fournis par chacun des Etats.

3. GERMmI

Les captures de germon augmentant d'annee en annee depuis 1965

(en 1977 : 74 000 tonnes), ce stock est exploite au maximum et son recrute­

ment parait en declin. Pour les scientifiques J si la necessite de pl'endre dcs

me~ures nc s'impose pas actuellement, celles-ci devront etl'e envlsagees no­

tamment en cas d'accl'oissemcnt de la carence du recrutement. Dans ce cas J

ils proposeront de reduire l'effort de peche.

4. THON ROUGE

Des mesures avaient ete prises en 1974, consistant a interdire la

capture et lc debarquement des thons d'un poids unitaire n'atteignant pas

6,4 kg ; en outre J il avait ete decide que chacune dcs parties contract~tes

pren.drai t les mesures necessaires POOl' "1imi tel' la mortali te des peches de

cette espece au niveau actuel". Cette derniere mesure, prise poul' une perio-

de d'un an, aVilit ete rcconduite jusqu'en 1979. Les Etats-Unis, cependant J

avait fait des propositions plus restrictives en 1977 et a la suite de l'echec

de ces reco~uldation~ devant la Commission J envisageaient d'introduire d'au­

tres mcsures au cours de la presente reunion.

Les scientifiques cependant ont falt etat du bon effet de l'en­

semble des mesures actuellcs sur l'etat des stocks de l'Atlantique Est ; le

recrutement serait en augmentation reguliere et ne causerait pas d'inquietude

la mortali te aurai t diminue.

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Il sembler,üt d'.üllellrs (ru'il existe. effectivemcnt deux stocks

distincts de cctte cspec~, l'lln d.:ms l'est dc l'Atl.:mti'lue, l'.:lutre d.ms

l'ouest, et s'il conven~it dc prendre des mesures dc gestion, cellcs-ci

devr.:lient etre prises d'une m.:miete distincte de ch~1ue cote de l·Atl~tique.

C'est ~insi que le Cilll<1da <1 propose de diviser l'Atlillltique Nord en deux

zones de gestion, sep<trees par une ligne de 40° de longi tudc. Des mesurcs

pourr~ient etre proposees d~ns l'ouest en 1979.

5. THON OBESE

Chaque armee, la Commission s'etait emue des prises import.:mtes

d',:J.lbacore sous taille realisees not,:unment par les flottilles asiatiques,

deploy.:mt leur activite le Ion des c3tes du GhJna. Cert<1ins pays avaient

f~it remarquer qu'il et~it difficile de distinguer entre les jeunes alba­

cores, qui font l'objet d'une limitation de taille m<1rcha~de (3,2 kg), et

les jeunes thons obeses qui ne faisaient pas l'objet de mesure de limitation.

Les scientifiques avaient recommande, en consequence, de prendre

pour le thon obese la meme mesure que pour l'albacore (taille marchande :

3,2 kg). L'adoption de cette recommandation avait ete reportee provisoire­

ment l'annee derniere en vue de permettre de continuer d'etudier le dossier.

Cette annee, les scientifiques ont a nouveau insiste pour que cette mesure

soit adoptec. En effet, outre les raisons evoquees ci-dessus, la production

de cette espece ayant atteint le MSY, cette limitation ne pourrait comporter

que des avantages sur le plan de la conservation des ressourees.

C'est la raison pour laquelle malgre les reticences de certains

Etats et la suite d'un vote, il a ete adopte une recommandation du meme type

que celle concernant l'albacore, c'est-a-dire une limitation de taille a

3,2 kg.

1.

2.

3.

4.

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REPORT OU THE FIPrH MEErDm

OF THE

INTERIM BALTIC 1'".ARllJE ENVIRONMENt}' PROTECTION COMMISSION

by the

Environment Officer

The fifth meeting of the Interim BaI tic Marine Environment Protection Commissiontook place in Heloinki from 14 to 11 November 1918. Representatives würe presentfrom all Signatory States and the meeting was also attended by observers fromthe United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Economic Commissionfor Europe, the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission, and ICES. TheChairman of the ACMP, Profesoor G. Kullenberg, and the Environment Officerrepresented ICES. Ambassador Paul Gustafoson was elected Chairman of the meetingand Dr. Raimo Pekkanen was elected Vice-Chairman.

After the Interim Commiosion had considered matters of general interest, suchas financial issuea and the report of the Scientific Expert, two Working Groupswere established: Working Group I, to consider the report of the fifth meetingof the Scientific-Technological Working Group (STWG), the ICES Advisory Committeeon Y~ine Pollution report, and related issues; and Working Group 11, to considerthe report of the fourth moeting of the Maritime Working Group and relatedissues. The lCES observers took part in the sessions of Working Group J.

In considering the report of the fifth meeting of the S~'G, the Meeting discussedmatters related to monitoring and, in particular, a document entitled "DraftGuidelines for the Baltic Monitoring Procramme", Thie document was compiled onthe bads of (a) the report of the Meeting of Experts on Moni toring the P.a.rineEnvironment of the Baltic Sea Area (Szczecin 1911), (b) the report of the S~'G/BMBad hoc Group on Biological Methods (Warsaw 1918), and (c) the ICES dOCUIDent"Guidelines for Sampling Procedureo and Sample Preparation Methode for the Analysisof Contaminant Levels in Baltic Biota". The Meeting expressed its appreciationto ICES for the preparation of ito document. After slightly revising the overalldraft guidelines for thc monitoring programme, the Meeting tentatively adopted them.

The Meeting recommended that the first stage of the moni toring programme shouldbc conducted as a pilot programme, experimental in character. This pilot phasedlOUld begin in M..u-ch 1979 and nhould continue for a five-year period. ThewUnit0ring of uelected phynical, chemical, nnd biological parameters in open6ca "",ÜPTO ohould be oupplemented by harmonized moni toring in coastal waters,including input studies, in order to obtain an appropriate assessment of thentatc of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea Area. The data obtained fromthe moni toring programme shall be forwarded to the Interim Commission Secretariat.Formats for hydrographic und chemical data should be compatible with existingleES formats. In this context, the Meeting noted that ICES had offered its

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consultant nervicen for the preparation of a reporting format for biologicaldata. The Meeting decided that, on the banin of the compilation of thc rcnultnof the monitoring and other relevant information, and annen~ment of the stateof the marine environment of the Baltic should be prepared every two years, withthe firnt report in 1982.

5. The Meeting then marle the following decision (quoted from the Meeting report):

In view of the fact that the Baltic Monitoring programme will beginin 1919, it will be necennary to prepare an asnesnment, as detai1ed'as possible, of the known conditions of the Baltic marine environmentas a basis for the evaluation of the monitoring programme. Such anassessment should uti1ize all relevant existing data and should alsomake use of results from bilateral programmes in the Gulfs of Finlundand Bothnia and the Sound prenently being conducted. lt is suggestedthat such a detailed assessment be carried out under the responsibilityof the STWG, using the expertise of the international Baltic scientificcommunity within the lCES und the BMD and the assistance of the lCESSecretariat. It is proposed that this work be carried out as folIews:

1.) A joint STWG/ICES ad hoc Group of Experts will be formed consisting ofBaltic Sea scientists on as wide a basis as possib1e und covering thevarious disciplines und uses of.the marine environment. This groupshould formulate a work plan und an outline of the contents of thereport and submit them to the STWG at its meeting in September 1919for its comments.

2.) The ad hoc Group will then complete its work, taking into account thecomments of the S1~G, for final prenentation to the STWG at its meetingin Autumn 1980.

Tlle Meeting decided to allocate, out of funda available for consultant selvicesin 1919, the sum of 25,000 Fmks aa a contribution to lCES for consultant servicesrequested by the Interim CommiAsion in 1919.

In terms of comparability of measurements the Meeting recommended, i.a., thefollowing:

a) that intercalibration exercines for the determination of disso1ved and particu­late organie matter as weIl as for particulate nitrogen, should be orgunized; and

b) that an elaboration and intercalibration of methode for the determination ofpetroleum hydrocarbons in sea water should be carried out so that the meanurementof these compounds may be incorporated into the general monitoring programme inthe future. Tlle development und intercalibration of methods for the determinationof chlorinated hydrocarbons in sea water were also regarded necessary.

The Meeting also urged laboratories to participate in the ongoing and plannedintercalibration exercises for trace metals and organochlorines in biologicalmaterial organized by lCES.

1.

8.

9.

10.

11.•12.

13·

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The Meeting connidered the development of the monitoring programme after thefirnt phaoe and ntreooed the importance of increaning the number of parameternto be monitored an weIl an the nampling frequency in order to enoure a betterasoenn=ent of any changen in the Baltic marine enviror~ent. The Meeting feItthat, in order to meet the requirementn of the monitoring programme, it wasnecennary to include the meanur~ment of trace metals, petroleum hydrocarbonn,and chlorinated hydrocarbons in sea water an soon an posoible. In the futuredevelopment of biological monitoring, other param~tern (e.g., oeoton, bacteria,phaophytin, meiobenthos, microbenthos) could be conoidered in the programme.The Baltic Sea Staten were encoura~ed to collect information on environment­induced diseases in fioh and 8hellfioh (e.g., fin rot and nkeletal anomalies)in order to evaluate whether such observations could be useful in biologicaleffectn monitoring.

TIle meeting asked the S~'G to investigate the possibilities of establishing anenvironmental specimen bank in order to create a baais for future investigationson the level of harmful subntances in living renources, and on specien composition,abundance, and biomaos of important components of the econystem. Informationon activities related to work on an environmental specimen bank should beforwarded in advance of the next meeting of the STWG.

The ICES observer presented the "Heport of the ICES Advisory Committee on MarinePollution, 1918" to the Meeting. The Meeting also took note of the informationpaper on ICES intercalibration exercises. After abrief consideration of severalrelevant decisions taken by ICES at its 1918 Statutory Meeting, the InterimComminsion expresned itn appreciation to ICES for ita valuable contribution andcooperation and requented ICES to continue reporting on its activities relevantto thc work carried out under the auspicen of the Interim Commission.

TIle Meeting noted the report of the Scientific Expert regarding present knowledgeabout atmospheric deposition of pollutantn into the sea and decided that thescientificExpcrt should comtinue to collect information on this topic, especiallyon the methodological aspecto of quantification of pollutant inputs, for discuosionat thc ncxt meeting of the S1WG.

ilil a proponal by Sweden, the Meeting decided that a meeting of experts on theeffectn of oil on the marine environment should be convened in Finland inSeptember 1979 in connection with the sixth meeting of the STWG. Material givingthe resu1 to of scientific ntudies on the effectn of oil on the marine environmentshou1d be nubmitted by 1 Hay 1919.

In the discussion of the relationn between the Interim Commission and otherintcrgovelnmenta1 organizationn, the Meeting noted with appreciation the goodcooperative relationnhip with ICES.

Becaune the Convention will probably enter into force during 1919, the questionof the next meeting could not be defini tely decided. If, however, theConvention han not entered into force, the sixth meeting of the Interim Commisoionwill be held in Helsinki from 20 to 23 November 1919.

...

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REPORT Q}' TUE FH'rH Mf.:E'rnm

of the

OSLO COI1MI SS ION

by the

Environment Officer

1. The fifth meeting of the Oslo Comminsion (for the Convention for the Preventionof Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft) took place in theIIague from 21 - 24 November 1978. The meeting was ehaired by Mr. T. Gorman(Ireland), Vice-Chairman of the Commisuion. Representatives from elevenSignatory States attended the meeting, as weIl as obaervers from the Secretariatof the London Dumping Convention and lCES. The Environment Officer representedlCES.

2. Arnong the administrative topics discussed were (a) the Headquarters Agreementbetween the Commission and the Uni ted Y~ngdom Government; (b) Secretariatarrangements regarding the Paris Commission and the Bonn Agreement; and (e)financial matters.

•

3· The Commission reviewed the report of the sixth meeting of the StandingAdvisory Committee for Scientific Advice (SACSA) and adopted the recommendationsproposed therein. Among these, the Commission adopted the SACSA recommendationthat the list of substances contained in the Annexes to the Oslo Conventionshould be reviewed every five years unless there was strong scientific evidencefor an earlier revision. The Commission also agreed to the SACSA recommendationthat the lCES report "Conniderationo Relevant to the Selection and Monitoringof Dumping Sites" should be taken into account by Contraeting Parties whenconsidering the selection of dumping Bites. Tbe Commission agreed that thefuture werk of SACSA ohould include consideration of the disposal of organo­chlorine waste and the selection of dumping sites in deep water.

4. Muttern dealing with ineineration at sea were discussed, incIuding the questionof designating common ineineration sites. It was agreed that the sitedesignated by the Netherlands as anational l3i te would be used as a commonincineration site until 1 January 1980. In the meantime, the countries directlyconcerned with incineration operations in the Southern Bight (Netherlands,Belgium, and Federnl Republic of Germany) weuld prepare a eomprehensive workingdocument for SACSA eontaining a new proposal for a common incineration sitetaking into account all aspects related to:-

fisheries (statistics of catch/effects on fioh);

pollution (incIuding nir pollution);

economy (distance from harbors).

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The lCES observer agreed to oubmit available information concelning finheriesand pollution issues for the specific si te or siten under connideration.(~~e emall group which will be formed to curry out this work will contactlCES directly and specify what information it will need to ansist it in itswork. )

5. The Comrnlssion reviewed the joint monitoring progr<l1llI1le which had been preparedby the JMG at its two meetings in 1978 and accepted in principle the objectivesand methods of this progrnnime.

6. The lCES observer presented the "Heport of the lCES Advisory Committee onMarine Pollution, 1978" to the Commission and highlighted certain sectionsof the report. The Commisnion then considered the work programme for lCESwhich had been formulated by the Jl1G and agreed to ank lCES to curry outthis work. The tasks ure as follows:-

(a) ehort tenn: (i) to continue with the intercalibrationexercises for mercury and cadmium in seawater and for mercury, cadmium and PeBsin organisms;

(b) medium term:

(ii) to make proposals to standardise thedepuration procedure for defaecation offilter feeders prior to further stepsof analysis;

to report on the outcome of the symposiumon sediments in the light of the plans ofJMG to incorporate sediment monitoring inthe joint monitoring programme.

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(e) long tenn: (i) to examine the problems of trend monitoringand to advise the Commissions accordingly,recognising that the detection of trendsin the contamination of biota demandsstatistically precise data, and that theacqu1sition of such precision requiresknowledge of the effects on contaminantlevels of a range of factors includingthe location, size, age, sex and physiolo­gical conditions of the organisms;

(ii) to examine the physical, chemical and biolo­gical procesoeo which control the movementof contaminants between the variouscompartments in the marine environmentfrom the point of input to the ultimatesink, and provide advice to the Commissionson the principles underlying these processen.

TIle Comm1ssion approved a financial contribution of 66,000 DKr to be paidto lCES in 1979 for these services.

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1. 1be Commission considered the cost of the intercalibration exercises formercury and cadmium in sea water, amounting to a total of 18,500 PoundsSterling to be paid directly to the two coordinating laboratories, andapproved the expenditure of one-half this amount' (the other half of whichshould be paid by the Paris Cornmission). The Commission also authorizedthe Secretary to enter into a contract with the two laboratories on behalfof the Commission. The numas and addresses of 811 participating laboratoriesare to be notified to the Commission Secretariat by 31 December 1978.

8. The Commission had proposed that there should be some form of regular contact,in the form of meetings, between the Oslo Commission and lCES. The Commissiondecided that this matter should be considered by the group of Chairmen andVice-Chairmen (of the Os10 and Paris Commissions and, for scientific matters,including the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of SACSA, TWG, and JMG) which wasformed during the meeting and authorized that group to take whatever actionit deemed best.

• 9. The next meeting of SACSA will be held in Hamburg from 2 - 5 October 1979.The sixth Meeting of the Commission will take p1ace in Stockholm.

10. Mr. C. van der Burgt (Netherlands) was elected Chairman and Mr. H. Nei1son(UK) was elected Vice-Chairman for 1979 and 1980.

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Report on the 17-th Annual Meeting of NEAFC

by thc

ICES Statintician

Thc 17-th Annual Meeting of lJEAFC was held in London, 21-22 November 1978,with the Prenident, Captain J.C.E. Cardoso (Portugal). in the Chair. Themeeting was attended by delegations from Bulgaria, Cub~ the Faroes, Finland,the German Democratic Republic, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Swedenand USSR. Observers were present from lCES, EEC, Canada and OECD. TheCouncil wan represented by the Chairman of the Advisory Committee onFishery Management, Mr. A. Saville, and by the Council's Statistician.

The Commission considered two reports of the ACFM. One of them dealt withthone outstanding stock assessments not covered by the ACFM report to the16-th Annual Meeting of NEAFC (i.e. North-East Arctic cod and haddock,herring in the Firth of Clyde and the Moume herring stock, cod in Division][~.The other contained information on the biolo~J, distribution and state ofexploitation of stocks shared between zones of extended fisheries jurisdictionin the Convention Area, except those major North Sea stocks on which acorresponding lCES report had been provided to the 15-th Annual Meeting ofNEAFC. Both reports were recognized as an extremely valuable advice forthe proper management of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries and were formallyaccepted by the Commission.

Both present and past ~embers of lJEAFC confirmed their willingness tocontinue to provide these catch data returns to ICES which were imperativefor stock assessment purposes. In this connection the Commission notedthat at the 66-th Statutory Meeting ICES extended the list of selectedspecies, on which preliminary annual nominal catch data are to be madeavailable to ICES not later than 1 February of the year following that towhich the data apply, and agreed to make the necessary amendments toRecommendation (12). The Commission also took note of the revised andextended ICES Data Form 5 (amalgamating the previous Form 5 and the NEAFCForm for reporting entimates of monthly catchen of quota-regulated species)and agreed that, as the monthly catch data will from January 1979 onwardsbe handled directly by ICES, there was no further need for the NEAFC Formto be circulated by the NEAFC Secretariat.

The Commission reaffirmed its relationship with lCES and agreed to ask itto provide the normal full range of advice on the assessment of fish stocksfor the 18-th Annual Meeting of lJEAFC.

Acting on the advice of its Finance Committee, the Commission approvedthe inclusion of the amount of L7 700 in its 1979/80 budget as its partof the increased contribution to ICES (with the understanding that, asagreed at the 16-th Annual Meeting of lJEAFC lCES would direct1y approachthose countrien who had left the Commission i.e. Norway and the EEC, tomake up the proportionate balance of the total amount ICES would otherwisehave reques ted of lJEAFC).

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The Commission reeonsidered its position with a view to resolving theissues in the draft of a new Convention remaining unsettled from theDiplomatie Conferenee on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the North­East Atlantie Fisheries. It beeame evident that the position had notehanged sinee then, and it was therefore agreed tllat little progresscould at present be made in the forum of NEAFC. The Swedish delegationeonfirmed that their eountry had deposited its notice of withdrawll whichwould beeome effeetive in September 1979. There remains a general wish,however, that a new NEAFC, based on a Convention taking into aeeount thenew fisheries management regime, would have a eonstruetive role to play inthe future) and hope was expressed that new initiatives, particularly inthe light of the successful outcome to the NAFO Convention, would betaken to this effeet in the near future.

The Commission agreed to hold its l8-th Annual Meeting in London duringthe period 20-22 November 1979.

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REPORT OF TUE FIRST HEb"'I'ING Qlt' THE PARIS CONMISSION

by the

Environment Officer

1. The first meeting of the Paris Commission (for the Convention for thePrevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources) was held in theHague from 27-30 November 1918. Representatives from eleven Signatories werepresent; observers from Finland and lCES also attended the meeting. TheEnvironment Officer represented ICES.

2. Ir. C. van der Burgt (Netherlands) was elected Chairman of the Commissionfor the period from this meeting through 1980; M. H. Crepin-Leblond (France)was elected Vice-Chairman for the same period.

3. The Paris Commiosion decided, as had the Os10 Commission the previous week,that the Secretariat should become the joint Secretariat of the Paris andthe Oslo Commissiono. However, the individuality of the two Conventionsshould be respeeted. The Commission also eonsidered a number of other issuesof an administrative nature, including (a) adopting the Rules of Procedureand Financial Regulations; (b) approval of the budget; and (e) eonfirmationof the decisions which had been taken by the Interim Paris Commission. Underthis last issue, the Commission confirmed the establishment of the TechnicalWorking Group as a permanent advisory body and the Joint Monitoring Groupas a joint body with the 0010 Commission. The Commission agreed that boththe TWG und the JMG should be of a scientific nature as mueh as possible;thc delegates should be Bcientists rather than representatives of theircountry. In the discussion, it WaD stated that these groups should functionin a similar manner to ICES Working Groups.

4. The·Commission considered the topic of Environmental Quality Objectives andUniform Emission Standards in relation to mercury and decided to adopt adual approach for a fivc-ycar pcriod, in which both uniform emission standardswill bc set for new and existing chloralkali plants and environment qualityobjectives will be set for mercury in oreanismn, water, and, if appropriate,sediments. Tbe countries will apply one or thc other approach and send thedata requested to thc Secretariat annually. At the end of the five-yearperiod, the eonscquenecs of eaeh approach on the marine environment will beeompared. Thc TWG was requcsted to propare draft emission standards andenvironmental quality objectives for eonsideration by the Commission at itsnext meeting.

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5. The Corumission reviewed the work of the TWG and approved the recommendationsand decioions made by the TWG at lto meeting in September 1918.

6. The Commisoion considered thc work of the JMG and endorsed the JointMonitoring Programme which it !lad prepared aswell as the report of the JMGmeeting in Bonn (October 1918). The JMG had requeated the Commiosion toendorse its decision that ito future work ohould inc1ude the preparation ofreports on mercury, cadmium, and PCRs based on data from the existing nationalmonitoring networks. The Commisoion decided that the Secretariat ohould submitto the J}~ at its next meeting an outline of the contents of the mercuryreport, und the writing of different chapters should then be divided amongthe different delegations. One delegation suggested that lCES be asked tocompile the data on mercury in organioms, oea water, and sediments andprepare a pre1iminary analysis. No decision was made, pending the JMGconsideration of the chapter out1ine of the report.

7. The ICE.'S observer prcsented the "Heport of the lCES Advisory Commi t tee onJ1arine Pollution, 1978" and highlighted oeveral sections of the report. TheCommission considered the work programme to bc entrusted to lCES, which badbeen formulated by the JMG, and agreed to request lCES to carry·out thiswork (see report on 0610 Commission meeting, paragraph 6). The Commisaionalso approved a financia1 contribution to lCES for 1919 of D.Kr.6b,000 tocarry out the requested work.

8. The Commission considered the costs of thc interca1ibration exercises formercury und cadmium in sea water, which amounted to (18,500 to be sharedequally with the Os10 Commission. The Co~ssion provisionally agrced to theexpenditure of (9,250, but cou1d not arrive at a definite agreement on howthis amount should be divided among Signatories to the Paris Convention.In order not to de1ay the beginning of the intercalibration exercises, theSecretary was authorised to enter into a contract on the Commission's behalfwith the two laboratories coordinating the exercise.

9. As had boen decided in the Oslo Co~usion, the Paris Commission decided thatthe matter of regular conta~t between the Commission and lCES should beconsidered by the Group of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen and authorised thisGroup to take whatever action it thOUVlt best (see report on Oslo Commissionmeeting, paragraph 8).

10. As this was its first meeting, the Commiosion considered which otherinternational organisations ohould be granted an observership to its meetings.The Commission decided to grant observership to lCES, the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP), the lnter-Governmental Maritime ConsultativeOrganization (IMCO), and Finland.

11. 'rhe meetine calendar was discllnned and the fol10wing arrangements were made.The Working Group on Oil Pollution will meet in London during the week12-16 February 1979. The TWG will meet in lIamburg from 8-11 October 1979.Thenext meeting of the JMG will be held in' DubEn, if possib1ej if not,in Lisbon. The Second Meeting of the Paris Commission will take place inStockholm.

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•- 14 -

COMPrE RENDU DE LA REUNION DE LA COMMISSION

INTERNATIONALE DES PECllES DE L' ATI.ANTIQUE SUD-EST

par

R. Letaconnoux

La troisieme reunion extraordinaire de 1.1 Commission Internationale

des Peches de l'At1antique sud-est s'est tenue a Barcelone (Espagne), du 1er

au 16 decembre 1978, sous la presidence du Dr. S.A. STUDENETSKY, vice-Ministre

des p~ches de l'U.R.S.S.

Les 16 pays merr.bres de 1a Con'rr.ission sent les suivants : ~epAt.lique

d 'Afri'lu~ c.u Sud., RepuLlique c.e:nccratique allema"1de, Republique federale d'A!.­

lem39ne, Re~ublique populaire d'Angola, Belgique,Bulgarie, Cuba, Espagn~,

Frunce, Israel, Italie, Japon, Pologne, Portugal, Roumanie et l'U.R.S.S.

On notait la presence d'observate~rs cle la Republiqae<E Coree, des

Etats-Unis, de 1.1 CEE, de 1.1 FAO, de l'lCES ~t de 1.1 CIB.

Au cours de 1.1 reunion, 1.1 Ccmmission a poursuivi ses travaux scien­

tifique sur l' evaluation des ressou.rces en poisson au large de la cote suc­

ouest de l'Afrique :

1. Les scientifiques ont pu constater une legere amelioration de 1.1 biomasse

qui s'expli(lUe par un meilleur recrutemf~nt. Les quotas adoptes, en 1977

et 1978, n'ont pu contribuer de fa~on nette a enrayer la baisse d'abon­

dance des stocks. Si l'effort de peche a probablement diminue en 1978,

par rapport a 1977, il para!t toujours superieur au niveau correspondant

au MSY.

2. 11 .1 ete reconnu~e le recueil des statistiques de cette zone etait

encore difficile et,que malgre une exploitation plus rationnelle des

donn~es fournies par le systeme d'informatique mis en place en 1976,

il etaitcncore necessaire de le perfectionner. C'est pourquoi, il a

et6 propose sur le budget extraordinairc 1979 l'achat d'un ensemble

d' ini'orm,lti'lUC ..ldequat.

•

..

- 15 -

Les resul tats dc la "t.:l.ble ronde" concern.:mt l'uniformisation des

methodes de lccture d'3ge des otolithcs de merlu ont ete co~~uniques. Tl a

ete decide quc ce graupe dc trav.:l.il devrait completcr ses etude en 1979.

La Commission a recomm~de les mesures reglementaires suiv~ntcs

pour la protection de ces ressources :

limitation de 1a capt~re totale de merlu a 565 900 tannes en 1979,

avec repartition de quotas parmi les pays membres jusqu'A une capturc

totale de 415 900 tannes dans la zone situee en dehors des juridic­

tions nationales en matiere de peche ;

reduction des peches cotieres pendant la saison de frai du pilchard

- renouvellement de la recommandation etablie en 1976 d'une saison deI

fermeture de 5 mais pour le pilchard.

Les resultats du controle international des peches dans la zone

de la Convention, en particulier les rapports d'inspection et les comptes

rendus des poursuites engagees, ont ete examines et consideres comme satis­

faisants.

La prochaine reunion de la Commission (5eme reunion ordinaire) aura

lieu a Lisbonne (Portugal), du 30 novembre au 15 decembre 1979.

• - 16 -

Rcport of thc Elleventh session of thc IOC Executive Council

by OIe J. 0stvedt

The elleventh session of IOC Executive Council was held in

Mexico City 26 February - 3 March and was formerly opened by

his Excellency Sr. Jose Lopez-Portillo, Pres idento f ~1exico.

Among the items on the Agenda of particular interest to other

intergovernmental bodies ce~ling with ~arine science affairs

was the report from the IOC Horking Group of Future Role and

tt Functions of the Commission. The group presented several

recommendations related to IOC structure and objectives,pro­

grammes and working methods. Among these recommendations was

a recommendation "that consideration be given to ways and means

for funding IOC in a satisfactory way as a functional autono­

mous body within the framework of Unesco". The meaning of the

phrase "functional autonomous body" has to be worked out and

agreed with the Director General of Unesco. Final decision will

be made at the next Assembly to be held in Paris 15 October -

3 November.

Under Ocean Science were presented reports from the regional

association for IOCARIBE and from the first session of the

Working Group for WESTPAC. It seems clear that most member

states of IOC want to strengthen the co-operation at a regional

level, and the working group for WESTPAC recommended several

research programmes in thc Paci:ic and thc setting up of a

regional secrctary.

Areport of IOC activities under thc First Garp Global Experi­

ment (FGGE) was prescntcd, and it was noted that the drifting

buoy programme in the southern hemisphere is providing very

successful results. It was agreed that it would be useful for

thc lOC to arrange for a conference or symposium to be convened

to summarize and evaluate the scientific results of the FGGE

oscanographic prografTlI!\c.

•- 17 -

Under Oce~n Services the report of the first session of the

joint IOC/HHO ~vorking Cormnittee for lGOSS was presented and

the report of the ninth session of the Working Committee

for International Oceanographic Data Exchange (lODE). lt was

noted that particularly progress had been reported in the

implementation of the lGOSS observing system. As regard lODE

it was emphasized that the development of the new lOC General

Format for Exchange of Oceanographic Data (G:-3) is likely to

be on especially useful contribution to international data

exchange.

Areport onstudy-in-depth of CIPME by the lOC Scientific

Advisory Board was also presented. The internal structure of

CIPME and its subsidiary bodies as weIl as its relations with

IGOSS for marine pollution monitoring were discussed. lt is

expected that a final decision on this matter will be made at

the Assembly when the re~ort have been studied by the Working

Commi t tee f:C\- GIPHE.

•

INSTITUT SCIENTIFIQUE Er TECHNIQUE

DES PECHES MARITIMES - 18 -

COMPTE RENDU DE LA REUNION CONJOINTE

l.C.N.A.F./N.A.F.O.

par

H. 1e tac onnou:.

L'l.C.N.A.F., qui a ete creee en 1951, a tenu sa derniere reunion

en mai-juin 1979 a Halifax (Canada), les scientifiques du STACRES, du 22 au

29 mai et la Commission du 30 mai au 7 juin, en meme temps que se tenJit l~

premiere reunion annuelle de l'Organisation des Pecheries du Nord-Quest Atlan­

tique (N.A.F.O.) qui lui succede.

Les pays membres de cette nouvelle organisation sont les suivant~ :

Bulgarie, Canada, Cuba, Communaute Economique Europeenne, lIes Faeroes (Danc­

mark), G.D.R., lslande, Norvegc, Portugal, Raumanie, URSS. Les USA, non encore

membres, assistaient Comme observateurs.

La NAFO a une structurc differente de l'lCNAF, etant constituee

de 3 entites independantes : un Conseil general, preside par le Dr. A.W.

MAY (Canada), une Commission des Peches, presidee par le Cpt. J.C.E. CARDOSO

(Portugal) et un Conseil scientifique, preside par M. R.H. LETACONNOUX (CEE).

Afin d'eviter un vide juridique, les decisions prises au cours de

cette reunion l'ont ete par les deux organisations, celles adoptees par la

NAFO entrant en vigueur au 1er janvier 1980. Elles concernent les TAC des

stocks de morue, sebaste et plie americaine du Bonnet Flamand (3 M) qui

deroeurent en eaux internationales et les stocks de morue, sebaste, plie

americaine, plie a queue jaune, plie cynoglosse, capelan et encornet (Illex)

qui debordent les 200 milles canadiens dans les divisions 3 L, 3 N et 3 0

de la region du Grand Banc de Terre-Neuve.

11 a egalement ete adopte un maillage de 60 mm pour les chaluts

a encornet et une nouvelle delimitation entre les sous-zones O.et I qui

tient compte du par tage des eaux entre le Canada et la CEE pour le Danemark(GroenLmd) •

•

• •

- 19 -

Un projet de systeme d'obscrv~teurs scientifiqucs, a bord de n~­

vires de peche operant au deld des 200 milles, a egalemcnt ete discute et

adopte dans son principe.

En ce qui concerne le Conseil Scientifique, il convient de noter

qu'il se composera de 3 comites permanents : Science des Pecheries (STACFIS),

coordina tion de la recherche (STACREB) e t publications (STACPUB). chacun

etant place sous la presidence respective de MM. WINTERS (Canada), SELIVERSTOV

(URSS) et HALLIDAY (Canada).

Le Conseil a clairement manifeste san desir de co11aborcr avec

le C1EM. 11 a demande, en particulicr, au Secretariat de 1a NAFO de voir si

cette cooperation ne pourrait pas, en premier 1ieu, porter sur le sebaste

du~nland dont les frayeres sont situees sur 1a c3te Est et en Mer d'Ir­

minger, afin d'en mie'lx connai:tre 1e stock et 1a peche.

La prOchaine reunion aura lieu en septembre 1980 a Saint-Jean-de­

Terre-Neuve. mais d'ici la plusieurs reunions sont prevues pour l'evalua­

tion de certains stocks et pour une reunion interimaire de la Commission

destinee a 1 'adoption de mesures de gestions pour 1980.

- 20 -•

Fourteenth General Meeting of SCOR, Brest, France

13 - 18 November 1978

by

G Hempel

The meeting was hosted by the Centre Oceanologique de Bretagne.

A two days' symposium dealt with various aspects of frontal zones

in the sea. Their physieal eauses related to meteorology and oce-

tt anography and their biological consequences were discussed by 8spealcers and about 40 other participants. A summary is given in

SCOR Proceedings Vol. 15 which also eontains the report of the

General Meeting.

Amongst the biological problems on the agenda of the SCOR General

Meeting two major items should be mentioned:

The growing interest in productivity studies in shallow water

areas of the tropieal and subtropical zone and in the antarctic

marine eeosystem.

With regard to tropieal lagoons, mangroves and reefs the various

octlvities by Uneseo's Division of Marine Seiences are followed

witll greot interest und SCOR provides adviee and assistance to

tlle activitles of workshops and symposia and to the pUblication

01' manuals etc.

For thc antaretie studies, SCOR jointly with SCAR has developed

a lal>ge seule research programme BIOMASS whieh aims at an assess­

ment of the living resourees of the Antarctic and their position

i 11 tht.~ In.'tr ille food cha in.

A l'equest by lOC 1'01' SCOR to identify future topics of research in

3.:Jl'o<1del1cd CINECfl areu (1;oe8 tael\: to the proposal by a Portuguese

- 21 -

_.scientist at the ClNECA Symposium in Las Palmas, April 1978. SCOR

feIt that the proposed co-operative study did not adequately

identify specific research tasks and SCOR were thus unable to

make a proper evaluation of the merit of the proposal.

Problems of air-sea interaction and of ocean climate were thorough­

ly discussed. For closer cooperation with WMO, lCSU and roc, a

Committee on Climatic Changes and the Ocean(CCCO) was establishedwith lOC and SCOR as co-sponsors.

Only one new working group was established (WG 63 Marine Geochrono­

logical Methods). Amongst the existing WGls three are jointly with~ lCES:

WG 10

WG 42

WG 52

Oceanographic Tables and Standards

Pollution of the Baltic

Estimation of Micro-Necton Abundance.

The financial situation of SCOR is very difficult because of its

wide range of activities. A drastic cut in the programme and a

rise in national contributions were proposed.