ICES
The 2026 meeting of the ICES Data and Information Group (DIG) was convened to progress ongoing actions supporting all data-related work across ICES. Several key areas were advanced during the meeting, including the review of data challenges and opportunities, ICES guidance on best practices for data management, progress by data governance groups, and the draft ICES Data Plan. Updates on the latest developments from the ICES Data Centre were also presented and discussed.The draft ICES Data Plan was shared ahead of the DIG meeting, and a survey was circulated for DIG members to complete. The survey was used as the basis for a discussion on the further refinement of the Data Plan, led by the Head of Data and Information. Part of DIG’s remit is to evaluate and monitor current and future challenges and opportunities in data management. During the meeting, a subgroup reviewed all entries in the Challenges and Opportunities tracker and added some new items.Data governance groups have been key to improving how ICES data is managed, and representatives from the groups were invited to the meeting to: i) encourage communication; ii) highlight progress; and iii) identify any areas where DIG and the governance groups can support each other in achieving shared outcomes. DIG discussed and evaluated options for surveying the ICES community to understand the state of play with ICES data systems.DIG reviewed the ICES guidance document “Best Practices for Data Management”. This document was developed through a collaboration between the ICES Data Centre and DIG to ensure that data are managed, structured, and developed in robust ways that promote reuse of the data. The last update to the Best Practices for Data Management document was carried out in March 2024, making this a timely opportunity to review and update it to reflect evolving best practices around data management.ICES received its CoreTrustSeal renewal in April 2025, and the certifying body highlighted the need for a more detailed data cessation plan should ICES ever be dissolved. DIG discussed how this should be approached and defined the next steps.