Dr. Ciaran Kelly:

It becomes known through genetics. That is what I referred to earlier on - a piece of work we expected to have been due before the end of this summer but which is slightly delayed. We would expect it to be out before the end of the year. However, I also mentioned that once that genetic and scientific information is available, it has to go through due process. It goes back into ICES. There is a stock assessment ID working group and it would peer review that information. It would then give advice to say that these are now the stock boundaries for one or more sprat stocks around Ireland and Scotland and, following that definition, it would work to benchmark the assessment, which is where you get an assessment, similar to that which is done in the channel, the North Sea or the Baltic, done on the appropriate assessment area around Ireland.