The contribution of Niels Daan to fisheries science: Changing the perspective from single-species to the ecosystem

We describe the career of Professor Niels Daan at the governmental Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research (RIVO) and analyse his role in the development of fisheries science, in the Netherlands as well as in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Major contributions are (i) his research on the interactions between cod and its prey; (ii) the standardization, data base development and quality control of the ICES International Bottom Trawl Survey; (iii) his role as editor-in-chief of the ICES Journal of Marine Science; (iv) his role in stimulating new approaches and critically questioning the science behind the advice; (v) his often silent support to a wide group of young fisheries scientists.