International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is a global intergovernmental organization that provides scientific advice on marine ecosystems. ICES's primary role is to offer guidance to governments and international regulatory bodies to help them make informed decisions about sustainable management of the oceans and their resources. They are newsworthy due to recent reports highlighting discrepancies between their scientific advice and fisheries management decisions. Specifically, the Marine Conservation Society is urging consumers to avoid UK-caught cod due to ICES's warnings of population decline, despite zero-catch recommendations. Simultaneously, the EU has increased mackerel fishing quotas in the North Atlantic for 2026, going against ICES's scientific advice, which raises concerns about the sustainability of the mackerel stock. These events underscore ICES's crucial role in providing scientific expertise and the challenges in ensuring that fisheries management aligns with scientific recommendations to protect marine ecosystems.