Large-scale changes in the migration of small pelagic fish and the factors modulating such changes (Co-sponsored by PICES)

Conveners: Jürgen Alheit (Germany), Dave Reid (UK), and Yoshiro Watanabe (Japan)

This session aims to bring together studies on observed changes in migration patterns. These could include; track, timing, distance or speed. Papers are invited on any documented changes in such migrations, but particularly where potential explanatory phenonema have been identified. These could include:

• Environmental change e.g. upwelling and other oceanic events (e.g. ENSO), or climate change e.g. NAO, current changes etc. These may include both physical (e.g. temperature) and biological (e.g. food availability) factors;


• Population structure: For example stock abundance and demography (age structure) as well as population parameters such as condition factor, maturity ogives etc. The role of experienced adult fish in modulating migrations would be of particular interest;


• Anthropogenic factors: This is principally aimed at the impact of fishing activity, particularly before and after stock collapses, but can include the direct result of fishing activity on migration paths and timings.

The Theme Session will be held at the 2006 Annual Science Conference, opening on Tuesday 19 September and closing on Saturday 23 September. The venue of the conference will be the Maastricht Exhibitions and Congress Centre (MECC) in The Netherlands. You will find information about the centre on the following web address: http://www.mecc.nl/).

The general Call for Papers and Posters for the 2006 Annual Science Conference will be issued in the beginning of 2006 and will include, among other things, a list of all the planned Theme Sessions. Anyone is eligible to submit a paper or poster to this Theme Session.
Participants will be required to send titles and abstracts (up to 200 words) of their contributions to the ICES Secretariat before the deadline of Thursday 20 April 2006.
Limited travel funds are available for young scientists and for scientists from countries with “economies in transition”. Especially first time participation in the ASC is encouraged. The following requirements qualify for eligibility:

• 35 years of age or younger
• nationality and affiliation in a country with “economy in transition”
• abstract submitted and registration for ASC completed

Since funds are limited, travel support can only be partial, e.g. airfare, accommodation, subsistence. The submitted applications will be assessed on the basis of these criteria:

• Application for partial support will be given preference, unless the contribution is outstanding
• Originality of work as shown in abstract
• Significance for one of the Theme Sessions

The application form for travel funds will be available on the conference website and should be submitted to ICES Secretariat.
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Jürgen Alheit
Baltic Sea Research Institute,
Seestrasse 15, D-18119
Warnemünde, Germany,
e-mail: juergen.alheit@io-warnemuende.de

Dave G. Reid
Fisheries Research Services,
Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 101,
375 Victoria Road,
Aberdeen AB11 9DB, United Kingdom,
e-mail: reiddg@marlab.ac.uk

Yoshiro Watanabe
Ocean Research Institute,
University of Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: ywatanab@ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp