The degree of separation of whiting stocks between the Irish Sea, North Sea and ICES Divisions 7.b–c from the Celtic Sea, is currently not conclusive. Genetic studies suggest NE Atlantic whiting, including northern North Sea is quite genetically homogeneous. In contrast potentially low levels of structuring has been suggested between this NE stock and that in the southern Bay of Biscay as well as within the Irish Sea and particularly the North Sea. Since 2014, stock assessment areas were restructured as whiting in area 7.b,c are now assessed as part of the Southern Celtic Seas and western English Channel (7.bc, e–k) assessment unit, while whiting in 7.d are is included in the assessment of the North Sea stock (ICES 2017).