(BBC) The number of young cod in the North Sea has shown a slight rise for the second year in a row, research shows.
But the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (Ices) warned that heavy cuts in cod catches were still needed to help numbers recover.
It said numbers were still well below the historical average and called for a 50% cut on 2006 catch levels.
Ices' findings will now be considered by EU ministers at the annual fishing quota negotiations in December.
During last year's talks, the European Commission based its recommendation of a 25% reduction in North Sea cod catches on the assessment by the Denmark-based marine research body.
However, EU fisheries ministers reduced this to a 14% cut in the number of fish landed during the 2007 season.