Working Group 53: Joint PICES/ICES Working Group on Sustainable Pelagic Forage Communities
Motivation and Goals/Objectives
Forage species are critical ecosystem components, occupying mid-trophic levels with the potential to impact most commercially important piscivorous fish species, marine birds and mammals. Additionally, directed commercial fishing on forage species accounts for more than 30% by weight of the total landings of fisheries globally. These landings are used both for human consumption and as protein for aquaculture and agriculture operations around the world. Many forage species are also culturally important and support local and indigenous communities.

Examples of forage species and community members to be considered by the working group include small, schooling, low- or mid-trophic level, pelagic fishes that are planktivorous throughout their life history (e.g., herring, anchovy, sardine), mesopelagic fishes (e.g., myctophids), euphausiids, and squids. Forage species are difficult to manage sustainably. Historical populations have often oscillated through “boom and bust” cyclical dynamics attributed to both bottom-up processes (e.g., regime shifts or changes in marine productivity due to climate variability) that are amplified by top-down impacts (e.g., natural mortality due to increasing predators or overfishing). As a group, forage taxa have relatively short life spans, potential for high recruitment, depensatory mortality, and density-dependent dynamics, are sensitive to both climatic and anthropogenic impacts and may exhibit rapid responses to changing conditions. Climatic and anthropogenic impacts are likely to change marine and estuarine systems and their forage communities in unanticipated ways, which will require adaptive and flexible management systems to maintain both sustainable fisheries and the ecosystem services that forage species provide.

From 2019-2023, a joint ICES-PICES working group on Small Pelagic Fish (WGSPF/WG 43) focused on establishing a multidisciplinary and global community of researchers to compare and contrast ecosystem-level approaches to determining the cause of fluctuations in populations of forage species and synthesize mechanisms linking climate and ecosystem variability and the population dynamics. The Working Group then connected these dynamics to socio-ecological systems and best practices in ecosystem-based fisheries management. These efforts culminated in an international symposium on “Small Pelagic Fish: New Frontiers in Science and Sustainable Management” (November 7–11, 2022, Lisbon, Portugal), two peer-reviewed publications (a Special Issue in Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and a Theme Section in Marine Ecology Progress Series) containing 28 original research papers, and a perspectives manuscript anticipated to be submitted to either Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries or Progress in Oceanography.

The synthesis of the WGSPF/WG 43 noted several areas of emerging technologies and methods that can be used to better manage and adapt to changing forage dynamics. These include innovative technologies such as genetics, acoustics, underwater imagery, predator-inferred distributions, and isotopes, as well as novel and emerging analysis techniques such as artificial intelligence, management strategy evaluation, social network modeling, and simulation testing methods. In particular, international collaboration on the development of novel technologies to survey and monitor forage fish populations, simulation testing of management in the face of climate changes, and inclusion of climate and other anthropogenic drivers into management would be useful on a global scale to develop strategies that could lead to robust and sustainable ecosystem approaches to management of forage species. To that end, we are proposing to build on and expand the work of WGSPF, with the establishment of a new joint ICES-PICES working group with a three-year term beginning in mid-2024 that will address the following terms of reference.
Contribution to the PICES and ICES Strategic Plans
Forage species and communities typically exhibit high variability, part of which is associated with drivers including climate change, changing ecosystem structure, and fishing pressure. To understand their dynamics, a whole-ecosystem approach is required that includes knowledge about oceanography, biological and human interactions. The activities of the proposed joint working group will contribute primarily to the first three of the six goals identified in the PICES Strategic Plan: (1) Foster collaboration among scientists within PICES and with other multinational organizations; (2) Understand the status and trends, vulnerability, and resilience of marine ecosystems; and (3) Understand and quantify how marine ecosystems respond to natural forcing and human activities. Goals 2 and 3 are similar to the two research themes in the PICES FUTURE (Forecasting and Understanding Trends, Uncertainty and Responses of North Pacific Marine Ecosystems) integrative scientific program. The activities of this joint Working Group also align with at least five of the seven science priorities set in the ICES Strategic Plan, including: (1) Ecosystem science, (2) Impacts of human activities, (3) Observation and exploration, (4) Seafood production and (5) Conservation and management science.
Terms of Reference
  1. Foster international and interdisciplinary collaboration to establish similar study frameworks and comparative analyses of forage species, their ecology, and fisheries.
  2. Assess recent progress on understanding fluctuations of forage species (abundance, distribution, diversity, and characteristics) and their impacts on the structure and function of ecosystems, particularly upper trophic levels including marine birds and mammals.
  3. Identify, prioritize, and recommend research most needed to advance our knowledge and capacity to forecast ecosystem responses to changes in forage species.
  4. Recommend strategies for studying and monitoring socio-ecological systems to improve ecosystem-based management for the sustainable harvest of forage species.
  5. Describe how climate change and other anthropogenic factors impact forage species and examine how these factors will affect economies, nutrition of human communities, aquaculture, fishery portfolios, and/or transboundary management among countries with different levels of development in fisheries, and recommend options for adaptation.
  6. Organize a joint ICES/PICES/FAO symposium on forage species that builds upon the Small Pelagic Fish symposia held in 2017 (March 6–11, 2017, Victoria, Canada) and 2022 (November 7–11, 2022, Lisbon, Portugal). The symposium, tentatively scheduled for 2026, will showcase integrative analyses of this Working Group. Working Group members will also propose and convene topic sessions and/or workshops at the PICES Annual Meetings and ICES Annual Science Conferences, as well as at FAO-sponsored meetings focused on key questions and recent advances in the dynamics of forage species in ecosystems and the impact of forage species on higher trophic levels.
  7. Complete the required PICES Scientific Report at the conclusion of the Working Group to summarize and disseminate the findings.
Expected Deliverables
A tentative timeline for deliverables is outlined below. The timeline with more specific deliverables will be developed during revisions to the terms of reference that will occur during the first meeting for the WG.

Year 1
  • To foster collaboration among the international, scientific and fisheries management community around forage species research (TOR#1). Task Forces and Activities that were generated by the expired WG 43 will be reviewed and adjusted to best meet the TORs for the proposed Working. Some activities will be added and activities that are no longer relevant will be deleted.
  • Convene a one-day topic session titled: “Advances in observational, analytical, and modeling tools that lead to better observations and improved understanding of small pelagic fish” at the 2024 PICES Annual Meeting in Honolulu, USA (TOR#3).
  • Hold at least one in-person or hybrid meeting during Year 1 (TOR#1).
Year 2
  • A series of manuscripts synthesizing existing knowledge on (1) spatial variability across life history stages of forage species, (2) best practices for coupling spatial distribution models with ecosystem models, (3) fleet and management response to spatiotemporal variability of forage species, and related socio-economic impacts, (4) inter- and intra-specific responses to environmental drivers, and (5) cross-system comparisons of internal and external forcing regulating growth is expected to be submitted to peer-reviewed journals (TOR#2). Targeted journals for these manuscript(s) include Fish and Fisheries, Advances in Marine Biology, Marine Ecology Progress Series or ICES Journal of Marine Science.
  • Convene a joint ICES/PICES/FAO symposium on forage species that builds upon the 2017 and 2022 Small Pelagic Fish symposia. This symposium is tentatively scheduled for the spring 2026 in La Paz, Mexico (TOR#6).
  • Propose and convene topic sessions at the PICES Annual Meeting and ICES Annual Science Conferences, as well as at FAO-sponsored meetings focused on key questions and recent advances in the dynamics of forage species in ecosystems and the impact of forage species on higher trophic levels (TOR#1, TOR#2, and TOR#3).
  • Hold at least one in person or hybrid meeting during Year 2 (TOR#1).
Year 3
  • Generate a manuscript (or a series of manuscripts) that synthesizes key research gaps and questions that are needed to forecast ecosystem responses to changes in forage communities (TOR#3) and recommend approaches that will be robust to climate change and other anthropogenic factors (TOR#5) to improve ecosystem-based management of forage species (TOR#4).
  • Publish studies emerging from the 2026 international symposium in special issues of scientific journals (with potential venues including Marine Ecology Progress Series, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, or Deep-Sea Research Part II). The timeline for completion of these volumes is tentatively 1–1.5 years following the symposium. This may be a suitable venue for publication of synthesis manuscript(s) highlighted in TOR#3, TOR#4, and TOR#5.
  • Hold at least one in person or hybrid meeting during Year 3 (TOR#1) and complete the required PICES Scientific Report (TOR#7).
Meetings and Events
  • February 25-27, 2025, Lisbon, Portugal
    Intersessional meeting (hybrid)

  • July 15, 2024
    WGSPF leadership virtual meeting

Products
Annual Meetings

Reports

Session and Workshop Summaries

PICES Press
Other Reports
Peer-reviewed Papers
News
  • Changes within Working Group 53 Membership (ex-officio): Drs. Toshihide Kitakado and Kazuhiro Oshima are appointed as ex-officio members of WG-53 representing NPFC.
    11/28/2024 2:21:57 PM PST
  • Changes within Working Group 53 Membership (Canada): Prof. Francis Juanes, Dr. Brian Hunt are the new members of the WG-53.
    9/13/2024 2:40:41 PM PST
  • New Working Group 53 Membership (Japan, Canada): Japan: Sachihiko Itoh, Tatsuya Sakamoto, Akinori Takasuka, Motomitsu Takahashi (WG-53 PICES Co-Chair), Mikio Watai. Hiroomi Miyamoto; Canada: Jennifer L. Boldt, Jaclyn Cleary, Hannah Murphy, Chris Rooper (WG-53 PICES Co-Chair).
    7/25/2024 1:47:25 PM PST
  • New Working Group 53 Membership (China, Korea, Russa, USA): China (Yue Jin, Shuyang Ma, Yongjun Tian, Wei Yu, Hui Zhang, Kui Zhang); Korea (Haeyoung Choi, Minje Choi, Hwansung Ji, Heejoong Kang, Dongwha Sohn); Russia (Dmitriy Antonenko, Nikita Dederer, Vladimir I. Radchenko); USA (Brad Erisman, Isaac Kaplan, Ryan Rykaczewski, Margaret Siple, Matthew Baker, Richard Brodeur, Tim Essington).
    7/2/2024 7:16:16 PM PST
Members
Dr. Jennifer L. Boldt (FUTURE-SSC, MONITOR, SB, WG-53)
SB-Chair-Elect
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Pacific Biological Station
3190 Hammond Bay Rd.
Nanaimo, BC
Canada V9T 6N7
(1-250) 734-3224
Jennifer.Boldt@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Ms. Jaclyn Cleary (WG-53)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
3190 Hammond Bay Rd
Nanaimo, BC
Canada V9T 6N7
250 616 7009
Jaclyn.Cleary@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Dr. Brian Hunt (WG-53)
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
University of British Columbia
2202 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6T 1Z4
(1-778) 230-4776
b.hunt@oceans.ubc.ca
Prof. Francis Juanes (WG-53)
Department of Biology
University of Victoria
3800 Finnerty Rd.
Victoria, BC
Canada V8P 5C2
250-721-6227
juanes@uvic.ca
Dr. Hannah Murphy (WG-53)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
80 East White Hills Rd
St. John's, NL
Canada A1C 5X1
7097724925
Hannah.Murphy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Dr. Chris Rooper (FIS, WG-47, WG-53)
WG-53 Co-Chair
Pacific Biological Station
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
3190 Hammond Bay Road
Nanaimo, BC
Canada V9T6N7
(250)-327-4857
chris.rooper@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Dr. Sachihiko Itoh (POC, WG-53)
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute
The University of Tokyo
5-1-5 Kashiwanoha
Kashiwa, Chiba
Japan 277-8564
(81-4) 7136-6326
(81-4) 7136-6327
itohsach@aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Dr. Toshihide Kitakado (S-MBM, WG-53)
ex-officio member of S-MBM rep. IWC, of WG-53 rep. NPFC
Department of Marine Biosciences
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
5-7, Konan 4, Minato
Tokyo, Japan 108-8477
+81-3-5463-0568
kitakado@kaiyodai.ac.jp
Dr. Hiroomi Miyamoto (WG-53)
Fisheries Research and Education Agency
2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa
Yokohama, Kanagawa
Japan 236-8648
+81-45-788-7516
miyamoto_hiroomi47@fra.go.jp
Dr. Kazuhiro Oshima (WG-53)
ex-officio member of WG-53 rep. NPFC
Pelagic Fish Resources Division
Fisheries Resources Institute
2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku,
Yokohama, Kanagawa
Japan 236-8648
+81-45-788-7516
oshima_kazuhiro28@fra.go.jp
Dr. Tatsuya Sakamoto (WG-53)
The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research
Kyoto University
Yoshidanihonmatsucho, Sakyo-ku
Kyoto, Japan 606-8316
+81 75 753 6779
tatsfish@gmail.com
Dr. Motomitsu Takahashi (BIO, S-CCME, WG-53)
WG-53 Co-Chair
Pelagic Fish Resources Division, Fisheries Stock Assessment Center, Fisheries Resources Institute
Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA)
1551-8 Taira-machi
Nagasaki, Nagasaki
Japan 851-2213
+81-95-860-1635
+81-95-850-7767
takahamt@fra.affrc.go.jp
Prof. Akinori Takasuka (WG-53)
Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The University of Tokyo
1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo
Tokyo, Japan 113-8657
+81-3-5841-5307
atakasuka@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Dr. Mikio Watai (WG-53)
Fisheries Resources Institute (FRI)
Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA)
2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku
Yokohama, Kanagawa
Japan 236-8648
+81-45-788-7636
watai_mikio40@fra.go.jp
Dr. Yue Jin (WG-53)
Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences
No.106, Nanjing Rd
Qingdao, Shandong
People's Republic of China 266071
+86-17686438698
jinyue@ysfri.ac.cn
Dr. Shuyang Ma (WG-53)
Fisheries Dyanmics
Institute of Marine Research
P.O box 1870 Nordnes NO-5817 Bergen
Bergen, People's Republic of China 5004
+47-46225290
mashuyang1992@163.com
Prof. Yongjun Tian (WG-53)
College of Fisheries
Ocean Univeristy of China
5 Yushan Rd.
Qingdao, Shandong
People's Republic of China 266003
86-532-82033378
86-532-82032960
yjtian@ouc.edu.cn
Dr. Wei Yu (WG-53)
College of Marine Sciences
Shanghai Ocean University
Huchenghuan Rd. 999, Lingang New City
Shanghai, People's Republic of China 201306
86-18817590945
wyu@shou.edu.cn
Prof. Hui Zhang (WG-53)
Institute of Oceanology, CAS
7 Nanhai Road
Qingdao, Shandong
People's Republic of China 266071
0532-82891860
zhanghui@qdio.ac.cn
Dr. Kui Zhang (WG-53)
South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, CAFS
231 West Xingang Road, Haizhu District
Guangzhou, Guangdong
People's Republic of China 510000
(86-20) 89108007
(86-20) 84451442
zhangkui@scsfri.ac.cn
Dr. Haeyoung Choi (WG-53)
Fisheries Resources and Environment Division
South Sea Fisheries Research Institute, National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS)
22, Sepodangmeri-gil, Hwayang-myeon
Yeosu, Republic of Korea 58780
+82-61-690-8933
chy2021@korea.kr
Mr. Minje Choi (S-CCME, WG-53)
Coastal Water Fisheries Resources Research Division
National Institute of Fisheries Science
216 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun
Busan, Republic of Korea 46083
+82-51-720-2296
cmj543@korea.kr
Dr. Hwansung Ji (FIS, WG-53)
Fisheries Resources Management Division
National Institute of Fisheries Science
216, Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun
Busan, Republic of Korea 46083
+82-51-720-2286
+82-51-720-2277
nise9@korea.kr
Dr. Heejoong Kang (S-CCME, WG-53)
Coastal Water Fisheries Resources Research Division
National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS)
216 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun
Busan, Republic of Korea 46083
+82-51-720-2293
kanghj87@korea.kr
Dr. Dongwha Sohn (S-CCME, WG-53)
S-CCME Co-Chair
Pusan National University
2, Busandaehak-ro 63beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu
Busan, Republic of Korea 46241
821065941517
sohndongwha@pusan.ac.kr
Mr. Dmitriy Antonenko (WG-53)
Pacific Scientific Research Fisheries Center (TINRO-Center)
4 Shevchenko Alley
Vladivostok, Russia 690091
(7-4232) 400-881
dmitrii.antonenko@tinro.vniro.ru
Mr. Nikita Dederer (WG-53)
Pacific Scientific Research Fisheries Center (TINRO-Center)
4 Shevchenko Alley
Vladivostok, Primorsky Kray
Russia 690090
(7-423) 2300-752
nikita.dederer@tinro.vniro.ru
Dr. Vladimir I. Radchenko (WG-53)
Head of Department of International Cooperation and Prospective Projects
Pacific Branch of VNIRO (TINRO)
4 Shevchenko Alley
Vladivostok, Primorie
Russia 690600
7 (423) 240 09 21
7 (423) 230 07 51
vladimir.radchenko@tinro.vniro.ru
Dr. Matthew Baker (WG-53)
North Pacific Research Board (NPRB)
1007 West Third Ave., Suite 100
Anchorage, AK
U.S.A. 99501
907-644-6713
Matthew.Baker@nprb.org
Dr. Richard David Brodeur (WG-53)
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Oregon State University
2030 S. Marine Science Drive
Newport, OR
U.S.A. 97365
541-961-4426
ricbrodeur1@gmail.com
Dr. Brad Erisman (WG-53)
Fisheries Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
8901 La Jolla Shores Drive
La Jolla, California
U.S.A. 92037
858-232-2411
brad.erisman@noaa.gov
Prof. Timothy Essington (WG-53)
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
University of Washington
UW Box 355020 1122 NE Boat Street
Seattle, WA
U.S.A. 98195
2066163698
essing@uw.edu
Dr. Isaac C. Kaplan (WG-53)
Northwest Fisheries Science Center
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
2725 Montlake Blvd. E
Seattle, WA
U.S.A. 98112
(206)302-2446
isaac.kaplan@noaa.gov
Dr. Ryan R. Rykaczewski (CREAMS-AP, FUTURE-SSC, WG-53)
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
Ecosystem Sciences Division NOAA PIFSC 1845 Wasp Blvd, Bldg. 176
Honolulu, HI
U.S.A. 96818-5007
(1-808) 725-5372
ryan.rykaczewski@noaa.gov
Dr. Margaret Siple (WG-53)
Groundfish Assessment Program
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA
7600 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA
U.S.A. 98115
206-661-8403
margaret.siple@noaa.gov