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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The second meeting of the Subregional Committee for the Western Mediterranean (SRC-WM) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) was held in Fuengirola, Spain, on 22–23 March 2018. The SRC-WM included a specific technical session on blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo).The aims of the meeting were to: i) compile relevant information on the status of western Mediterranean fisheries; ii) provide advice to the Scientific Advisory Committee for fisheries (SAC), including on urgent actions towards sustainability of fisheries and following the requests made by the Commission; iii) perform a detailed analysis of catches and information by species towards a potential revision of the list of priority species in the western Mediterranean; iv) identify priority topics for the subregion, including in relation to data collection, the provision of advice and the implementation of management measures; and v) prepare a draft work plan to address priority issues.

The SRC-WM adopted a roadmap for the quantitative assessment of blackspot seabream. It acknowledged the outcomes of the working groups on stock assessments, noting that two stocks were considered sustainably exploited (red mullet in geographical subarea [GSA] 10, deep-water rose shrimp in GSA 09), two ecologically unbalanced (anchovy and sardine in GSA 07), four stocks were considered preliminary (European hake, deep-water rose shrimp and sardine assessed in joint GSAs 01, 03 and 04, and sardine in GSA 01) and the other stocks were considered in overexploitation. In addition, the meeting agreed to keep on focusing efforts on the current list of priority species and proposed to add dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) to the list as a priority at the regional level. The SRC-WM also proposed additional species to work on, as a second-level priority which assessments should be carried out on a 3-4 year basis, namely: red mullet (Mullus barbatus), striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) and red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus). The SRC‑WM endorsed the proposed definitions for benchmark and updated assessment as provided by the SRC-EM. Finally, the subregional committee elaborated a stock assessment work plan by priority species and GSAs. It also agreed to propose a case study on climate change and fisheries in the Alboran Sea and hold a dedicated session on non-indigenous species during the next meeting.