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Workshop 2 on innovative fishing gear (WKING2), in response to the EU DG-MARE request for ICES advice on the progress and impact that has been made in innovative gear use within EU waters, chaired by Antonello Sala, Italy, and Julia Calderwood, Ireland, will be established and meet online 23–25 August 2023 to:

a) Evaluate/endorse the catalogue of gears considered ‘innovative’, including their objectives, technical specificities, and known impacts/benefits (in terms of selectivity and catch efficiency on target and non-target species and environmental impact in terms of benefits for, or negative effects on, marine ecosystems and sensitive habitats).

b) For innovations ready for deployment, assess the level of uptake of innovative gears by the EU industry (per sea basin and fishery). Investigate what aspects impact the uptake of innovative gears. Depending on data and knowledge availability, assess the impact of finance, user-friendliness, health, and safety. For those innovations which are already taken up, present the results for the fleets;

c) For those innovations not implemented, discuss the main drivers that prevented their use if known. Where possible, include analysis of the socio-economic trade-offs and propose ways to facilitate their implementation;

d) Produce a report detailing the process taken and presenting the results;

e) Draft a summary advice based on the report produced.

A Core Group of members from the ICES Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (WGFTFB) will work by correspondence to address ToR (a). The Core Group, with input from other experts in the ICES community, will facilitate information collection and discuss the Innovative Gears conceptualization. The Core Group will also collect information on the types of innovative gear that have been used in EU fisheries in recent years. At the WKING2 meeting, the Core Group will present results for review and deliberate the findings to date. ToRs (b) and (c) will be addressed here.

Two subgroups will be formed during the Workshop to work in parallel sessions as follows:

- Technology group: ToR (a)

- Social group: ToR (c)

- ToR (b) will be discussed in plenary with contributions from both groups

Following this, a report and associated advice will be drafted.
This workshop will be followed up by a meeting between experts and ACOM Leadership.
WKING2 will report by 15 September 2023 for the attention of FRSG, ACOM, and SCICOM.