The Planning Group on Commercial Catch, Discards and Biological Sampling (PGCCDBS) meeting in March 2005 (ICES, 2005), identified saithe as one of the species requiring confirmation of ages being assigned by Fisheries Institutes. The planning group indicated that the IFREMER, France should be responsible to organising a saithe otolith exchange (ICES, 2005). According to the PGCCDBS meeting 2006, the saithe otolith exchange in 2005 has been postponed to 2006. Ifremer (France) would be responsible for the organisation and analysis of the otoliths exchange for ICES areas IV and VI (ICES, 2006). 10 countries took part in this exchange : Denmark, Faroe Islands, France, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, UK England, UK Northern Ireland & UK Scotland. The Saithe is a specie considered by the readers as relatively easy. This exchange must continue for the training of the new readers every 3 years. It would be interesting to compare the 2 modes of preparation (Sectioning and Breaking). It would be necessary to present a direct or indirect validation of the formation of the ring.