At its meeting during 5–19 June 1996, the Standing Committee on Publications (STACPUB) noted that the extensive scientific review of the Cod Stock in NAFO Div. 2J and 3KL conducted by the Scientific Council consisted of a group of papers suitable for a single publication of NAFO Scientific Council Studies. At its meeting during 7–13 September 1996, STACPUB invited J. Morgan, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Newfoundland, Canada, to undertake the coordination of the papers for this publication.

In recent years the Scientific Council has recorded an increasing importance on abundance data derived from research surveys, for the fish stock assessments. While there are serious problems with the quality of the catch statistics necessary for assessments, several important stocks assessed by the Scientific Council are under moratoria and are therefore not producing fishery data. In these cases, abundance survey data are the only available reliable source of information on stock status. Observing the urgent need to consider fishery independent methods of stock assessments, the Scientific Council called for a Workshop to review the methods, at its Special Session to be held in conjunction with the 18^th Annual Meeting of NAFO.

The Workshop titled 'Assessment of Groundfish Stocks Based on Bottom Trawl Survey Results' with H. Lassen as convener was held during 4–6 September 1996, at Shuvalov Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia. The Workshop was open to the general scientific community, although participation was primarily aimed at the NAFO Scientific Council members.

Considering the hands-on nature of the Workshop, the total number of participants was limited. A total of 39 participants attended from Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Noting that Denmark (in respect of Greenland) with the concurrence of Canada  had requested advice on harp and hooded seals, the Scientific Council called a meeting of the Joint ICES/NAFO Working Group on Harp and Hooded seals. This Group met at the Keddy's Dartmouth Inn, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, during 5–9 June 1995, in conjunction with the Scientific Council meetings of 7–21 June 1995. The Group considered the assessment of the stocks and catch options, as reported in Scientific Council Reports, 1995, pages 43–48.

Noting that most of the research documents presented at the Working Group meeting were quite extensive and together presented an excellent summary of current knowledge of the status of the harp and hooded seals, the Council agreed that it would be extremely useful to compile these documents into a single issue of the NAFO Scientific Council Studies. Upon the approval of members of the Working Group, authors were requested to submit their revised papers for a special issue of the Council Studies.

This issue of NAFO Scientific Council Studies was initiated by the Standing Committee on Publications (STACPUB) of the Scientific Council with the intent of publishing the detailed review on Flemish Cap oceanography as prepared by the Chairman (M. Stein) of the Standing Committee on Fisheries Environment (STACFEN). At its meetings, STACPUB agreed to publish this review in addition to the annual review papers on climatic conditions as well as other currently available reports related to the Flemish Cap from research documents presented to its meetings, under a single cover of the NAFO Scientific Council Studies. The 24 previous issues of NAFO Scientific Council Studies are listed on the inside back cover of this volume.