(Leader: Dekker; Rapporteur: Poole)
47. The general discussion focused on two proposals distributed during the meeting. These were: Proposal for a cooperative research programme on the recruitment of the European Eel (Annex F) and Proposal for a jointly operated research programme on the growth of eel (Annex G). Both proposals took as a common starting point that the impact of the Working Party on the ongoing research within member countries - through recommendations made to and by EIFAC - has been quite small. Therefore, it was proposed to organize cooperative research from within the Working Party itself, i.e. to make coordinated research proposals within the member countries. One of the proposals concerned the compilation of a common data base of growth studies, the other a coordinated sampling programme for glasseels, allowing for ageing studies, studies on the distribution of recruitment in time and space and possibly studies on the genetic homogeneity of the stock.
48. To start the discussion, Dekker summarized the results of the current meeting in a brief presentation, stressing the need for effective stock-wide research programmes now when there has been poor recruitment over a number of years. It was felt that research cooperation was urgently needed, and that the two proposals could be used for this purpose. Some members stated that their own budgets might not allow them to fully join the proposed programme, but that they could at least provide samples. The low level of effort required for the two proposed programmes was thought to be an essential prerequisite of the proposals.
49. The acquisition of sufficient funding on top of national budgets was considered desirable, but not essential for the success of both programmes. If extra funds are made available the programmes could be expanded.
50. There was a general feeling that generated data should be made available to all members of the Working Party immediately after their storage in data bases. On request, other interested parties would be permitted to use the data through the members of the Working Party.
Two coordination groups were established with the following programmes and membership:
Programme on growth: Fontenelle (leader, France), Moriarty (Ireland), Klein Breteler (Netherlands), and Vollestad (Norway)
Programme on glasseels: Lecomte (leader, France), Antunes (Portugal), and Dekker (Netherlands).
51. The Working Party also felt that it has been losing contact with the eel culture industry. A list of eel farmers in Europe was needed and C. Moriarty volunteered to initiate its preparation. It is hoped in the future to form a group aiming at improvement of technique and other specific problems.
