EFFOP at MIACO 26: Science, Advice, and the Future Direction of ICES

EFFOP recently participated in the annual ICES Meeting with Advisory Councils and Observers (MIACO), a key annual forum where scientists, advisory bodies, and stakeholders review the latest ICES advice and discuss the future direction of marine science and management. This year’s meeting combined a detailed look at the 2025 advice cycle with forward-looking discussions on ecosystem-based management, climate considerations, and innovation in advisory processes.

Together, the sessions painted a picture of a system that is scientifically robust and continually evolving — but also facing mounting ecological complexity.

2025 Fisheries Advice: Progress and Warnings

In 2025, ICES delivered advice on 180 fish stocks, covering around 4.7 million tonnes of catches. Encouragingly, 85% of advised catches were in line with MSY or agreed management plans, and more stocks than in the past are now fished at levels below FMSY. This reflects long-term improvements in fisheries management and the growing alignment of policy with scientific recommendations.

However, the biological picture is more concerning. Indicators linked to spawning stock biomass (SSB) show declining SSB/Btrigger ratios for a number of stocks. In other words, while fishing pressure has become more sustainable, stock productivity and biomass trends are not keeping pace.

A particularly sobering figure is the rise in zero-catch advice: in 2025, 45% of assessed stocks received advice for no directed catch, up from 8% in 2017. Many of these trends are observed in demersal species, where persistently low recruitment suggests that broader ecosystem and environmental factors may be influencing stock dynamics. ICES scientists highlighted this as a key research priority going forward.

Spotlight on Science Groups and Emerging Topics

Several ICES science groups presented their work, demonstrating how advisory science is expanding beyond traditional single-stock assessments.

A key example was work on the biological effects of contaminants, which helps bridge the gap between environmental monitoring and impacts on marine organisms and ecosystems. This type of research supports a more integrated understanding of how pollution, habitat change, and climate pressures interact with fisheries and aquaculture.

Discussions also highlighted the increasing need to incorporate climate and ecosystem considerations directly into advice. ICES is working toward more climate-informed assessments and management approaches that better reflect shifting productivity, species distributions, and environmental variability.

Expanding the Scope: Aquaculture and Ecosystem Context

For the first time, ICES presented aquaculture overviews for each ecoregion, providing a structured snapshot of aquaculture activities across Europe. This marks an important step toward integrating aquaculture more fully into ICES’ ecosystem perspective and improving the knowledge base that supports sustainable development of the sector.

For EFFOP, this is particularly relevant. As aquaculture continues to grow, the role of nutritionally appropriate, responsibly sourced marine ingredients in supporting fish health, welfare, and performance becomes increasingly important within a broader ecosystem framework.

Improving the Advisory System Itself

MIACO also focused on how ICES can strengthen and modernise its advisory processes.

Two main streams underpin the system:

• Recurrent advice, such as annual fisheries recommendations, where thousands of experts across ICES member countries synthesise the best available science. This process includes strong quality assurance procedures, peer review, and benchmark audits to ensure advice is transparent, reproducible, and consistent.
• Special advice requests, which address more targeted or emerging questions. These are subject to additional independent review of both the scientific process and the final outputs.

All advice is agreed by consensus within the Advisory Committee before publication, reinforcing ICES’ role as a trusted, science-based advisory body.

Updates were provided on the Advisory Plan and Quality Action Plan, which aim to ensure that ICES advice remains rigorous, transparent, and responsive to user needs. Related discussions covered:

• The development of interactive online advice products, making scientific outputs more accessible and user-friendly
• Efforts to improve stakeholder engagement through dedicated processes and working groups
• Work on biodiversity data, science, and advice, reflecting the growing importance of ecosystem restoration and conservation objectives

ICES also presented progress on Management Strategy Evaluations (MSEs). These tools test how different combinations of fishing mortality targets and biomass reference points perform under uncertainty, helping design more robust, long-term management strategies. MSEs are increasingly seen as central to precautionary, adaptive fisheries management.

Looking Ahead: Strategy and Work Planning

The meeting concluded with discussions on the new ICES strategy and the Advisory Work Plan for 2026. A clear theme was the continued shift toward ecosystem-based, climate-aware advice, supported by stronger data integration, methodological development, and closer dialogue with advisory councils and observers.

For stakeholders such as EFFOP, these developments underline the importance of sustained collaboration between science and industry. Marine ingredient production, fisheries management, environmental protection, and aquaculture are all interconnected parts of the same marine system. Ensuring that advice reflects this interconnected reality is essential for long-term sustainability.