The RCG NA met in Vigo between the 10-14 September 2018 to review the progress of intersessional work since 2017, discuss and agree on outcomes and plan the work for 2018/2019 around the key areas of regional coordination in fisheries data collection: governance; regional sampling plans, identifying enduser needs and data quality.

Addressing ToR 2 on Governance, rules of procedures were adopted by remaining Member States based on intersessional review and required adjustments. These RoPs will roll over until 2019, when they are reviewed during the next annual meeting. RCG NA agreed to merge with RCGNS &EA from 2019 onwards and proposes to hold two joint annual meetings: a technical meeting in June, followed by a formal NC meeting in September to review/discuss proposals and reach agreements. Using the outputs from fishPi2 WP1 on regional subgroups, RCG NA agreed on how subgroups should work intersessionally and listed 9 high level thematic groups. RCG NA emphasised that to achieve tangible outputs requires the setting up of specific and well defined intersessional work tasks and the commitments by individuals and their labs. An increase in the visibility of RCG work is required to encourage higher levels of participation. A dedicated website as well as a RCG secretariat which can assist in the administrative duties and project manage the work are proposed means to achieve this goal and their funding sources were discussed.

The RCG agreed that a limited regional workplan is to be developed and put forward to STECF and building blocks of such a work plan were identified under the headings of “procedures”, ”methods”, ”Quality assurance and control” and “cost sharing of surveys”. The building blocks under these headings included eligible meetings and intersessional subgroup tasks; standardised sampling methods freezer trawler; quality assurance: + control; RDBES quality assurance, SISP for surveys, and surveys under existing cost sharing agreements. A subgroup was set up to develop the process for submitting the regional work plan.

The commission informed the RCG on the future of EU-MAP including the legal process and preparatory work for the revision of the existing legislations. The RCG agreed to work with the Commission to revise EU-MAP.

To further progress the development of regional sampling plans, the output from intersessional work in fishPi2 WPs 2, 3 and 4 as well as ICES WKPETSAMP were reviewed and next steps agreed. In parallel to the FishPi2 case studies, first steps were taken to develop a regional sampling plan for the pelagic freezer trawl fleet: national sampling strategies were documented and a work plan was drafted for 2018/2019. To regionally coordinate the bycatch sampling of protected, endangered and threatened species (PETS) an intersessional workplan was developed to carry out a bycatch risk analysis in the North Atlantic using output from FishPi1, WKPETSAMP and the sampling data in the RDB. The subgroup on regional sampling plans also reviewed relevant work on recreational fisheries and made recommendations relating to the use of the RDB for recreational fisheries data, sampling all species and for stock assessments to include recreational data where possible. The extract from the salmon and eel subgroup who met in the RCG NS&EA and the RCG MED are copied into this report under the section of regional sampling plans for reference.

ICES continues to be the core end-user for the data from the national work plans in the Northern Regions. Both ICES and the RCG Chairs presented summaries of the progress made on improving

communications between end-users and data-providers and the agreed actions between ICES and RCG chairs as an informal End-User subgroup. This included a summary of how the Stock Information Database was being developed to improve the communication at all stages between data providers and stock coordinators and an update on the ongoing collaboration between ICES, RCGs, MSs and the commission on the evaluation of the list of mandatory surveys for EU-MAP. In reference to the surveys the commission provided a summary of the first phase of the evaluation culminating in the STECF EG 18/04 meeting and the development of an evaluation tool. The summary detailed a second phase of collating stock and survey information for evaluation. The RCG NA continued with data preparation of the surveys and stock database during the meeting.

ICES also provided an overview of the upcoming data calls and benchmarks for the remainders of 2018 into 2019. The RCG NA reviewed the draft 2019 data call, and specific EG data calls in 2018, and provide comment and advice in the report. In addition, RCG NA, with reference to RCG NS&EA comments from the week before, reviewed the recommendations from other ICES EGs.

Fundamental to determining effective regional sampling plans is the control data and sample data derived from the catch sampling programmes currently stored on the existing RDB. Developing those plans is limited in its current structure. The group discussed the ongoing development and financing of the new RDBES and progress made through the SCRDB. Presentations of the outcomes of ICES PGDATA 2018 and EU WKMET 2018 provided a reference for how the RDB data may be reported or summarised for end-users and a reference for how to derive, improve, standardise and document references to agreed metier definitions. The 2017 data and upload logs submitted in response to the joint RCG 2018 data call was reviewed by the group. During the meeting the group considered how the intersessional data subgroup tasked with compiling tools for analysing and reporting the RDB data might progress more effectively. The intention to compile an inventory and report, at the meeting, on the data available for upcoming ICES benchmarks was postponed but set as a task for the intersessional subgroup. Overviews of the data were compiled, and consideration given to how the RDB might help populate standard DCF National Reports.

A summary of the intersessional work of the Landing Obligation subgroup provided a catalogue of MS ongoing experiences of the impact of the regulation on sampling schemes. The summary included a review of the incidence of the new landed catch component (BMS) in the RDB control and sample data. The impact of legislation on how data could be used was also considered by the group in how to maintain confidentiality by aggregating data. The proposed changes to the draft Control regulation in relation to personal data also raised concerns where the identity of a vessel linked to VMS, catch and effort data might only be available for scientific purposes for a five year window.

Based on the decision to merge the North Atlantic with the North Sea and Eastern Arctic RCG in 2019 Leonie O’Dowd will continue as Chair, co-chairing the combined group with the ongoing Chair of the RCG NS&EA, Els Torelle.