The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES; French: Conseil International de l'Exploration de la Mer, CIEM) is a regional fishery advisory body and the world's oldest intergovernmental science organization. ICES is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, where its multinational secretariat staff of 51 provide scientific, administrative and secretarial support to the ICES community. It was established on July 22, 1902, in Copenhagen.
Functions ICES is a leading multidisciplinary scientific forum for the exchange of information and ideas on all aspects of marine sciences pertaining to the North Atlantic, including the adjacent Baltic Sea and North Sea, and for the promotion and coordination of marine research by scientists within its member nations. Its principal functions, both when it was established and continuing to the present time, are to: (i) promote, encourage, develop, and coordinate marine research; (ii) publish and otherwise disseminate results of research; and (iii) provide non-biased, non-political scientific advice to member nation governments and international regulatory commissions.
History
In the late 19th century, a growing concern over the well-being of fish stocks in the North Sea coupled with efforts by different groups of scientists in neighboring countries to promote and encourage international scientific marine cooperation resulted in the establishment of ICES on July 22, 1902. The new organization was created in Copenhagen, Denmark by eight founding nations: Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The council's membership has fluctuated over the years with nations joining/leaving/rejoining at different times as a result of wars and political decisions. An exchange of letters among the original eight member nations was sufficient to establish the council in 1902. This type of arrangement continued until the early 1960s when this informal status became unacceptable in light of the establishment of the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies as well as other international organizations. Steps were initiated to achieve full international recognition of the council by the host country, Denmark. At a conference convened in Copenhagen on September 7, 1964, a formal convention was signed which subsequently came into force on July 22, 1968, following its ratification by the then 17 member nations. ICES today has 20 member nations, including the eight original members plus twelve additional nations: Belgium, Canada, Estonia, France, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. It also has affiliate institutes with observer status from: Australia, Chile, Greece, Peru, and South Africa. Formal observer status has been given to two non-governmental organizations: Worldwide Fund for Nature and Birdlife International.
Structure The principal decision and policy-making body of ICES is the council. The council consists of a president and two delegates from each of the 20 member nations. Delegates elect the president, first vice-president, and five additional vice-presidents (all for three-year terms) to comprise the bureau or executive committee. The bureau is responsible for carrying out the council's decisions, preparing and convening council meetings, formulating council budgets, appointing a secretariat staff, and performing other tasks as assigned by the council. A finance committee consisting of five delegates provides oversight to the council's fiscal matters. Delegates are also responsible for appointing a general secretary, who serves as the council's chief executive officer and is charged with managing the council's secretariat facilities and staff, finances, meetings, reports, publications, and communications. The council's scientific work is accomplished by various committees and working groups. During the long history of ICES, the committee and working group structure has changed periodically to reflect the needs of the time. At present, there is an advisory committee (ACOM) that provides advice to clients on fisheries and marine ecosystem issues, a Science Committee (SCICOM; formally the Consultative Committee as established in the ICES Convention) that oversees all aspects of the scientific work, and steering groups that coordinate the more than 100 expert groups covering most aspects of the marine ecosystem that work under them. A recently prepared strategic plan focuses on science that is broad-based, relevant, and farsighted, and providing advice that is rigorous, reliable, and objective. The plan identifies a mission which calls for 1) establishing effective arrangements to provide scientific advice; 2) informing interested parties and the public objectively and effectively about marine ecosystem issues; 3) coordinating and enhancing physical, chemical, biological, and interdisciplinary research; 4) fostering partnerships with other organizations that share a common interest; and 5) developing and maintaining accessible marine databases. The strategic plan addresses six critical themes: 1) Science, 2) Collaboration, 3) Advice, 4) Data, 5) Communication, and 6) Service support. An action plan specifies the activities that will be undertaken over the coming years in order to achieve the goals. It explains how ICES will continue to advance scientific knowledge and improve scientific advice, whereas the goals in the strategic plan tell what the overall objectives will be.
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