Objectives: The purpose of the project is to participate in the annual hydroacoustic survey in the northeast Atlantic. During spring and summer this survey is carried out by Norway, Russia, the Faeroese Islands, Iceland and the EU. Norway, Russia and Iceland contribute usually with more than one cruise only to the survey programme. As a result about 10-12 cruises are carried out annually in the northeast Atlantic region since the international monitoring of the stock resumed in 1994 after stock recovery. The EU contributes to this programme with one vessel with a mixed European scientific crew. In 1998, during the previous project (ASH-II) the Swedish vessel "Argos" sailed with Swedish, Dutch and German participants, and in 1999 the German vessel "Walther Herwig III" took part, again with scientists from the same nations. For this project the Dutch vessel "Tridens" will sail in 2000 for the EU, now with Dutch, Danish and German participation. In 2001, "Walther Herwig III" will again sail for the EU in the frame of the project. During the surveys the EU vessel screen the Norwegian Sea together with one Norwegian vessel for herring schools, the abundance of plankton as a food source for the herring and for the hydrographic conditions prevailing during the migration of Norwegian Spring Spawning Herring from the Norwegian coast to th open waters of the northeast Atlantic.
