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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The ninth meeting of the Subregional Group on Stock Assessment in the Black Sea (SGSABS) was held from 17 to 21 July 2023 in Burgas, Bulgaria, in hybrid modality. The key objectives of the meeting were to: i) review the status of the leading fish stocks in the Black Sea; ii) review the existing data and assessment methods for the main stocks in the area; iii) attempt analytical assessments for turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), whiting (Merlangius merlangus), horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus), piked dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and European sprat (Sprattus sprattus); and iv) provide advice on stock status and research priorities to improve knowledge on the status of the stocks. Advice was provided on the status of six stocks in the Black Sea: turbot, horse mackerel, piked dogfish, whiting, red mullet and sprat. Out of these species, qualitative precautionary advice was given for horse mackerel and whiting; more comprehensive quantitative advice was provided for turbot, red mullet, piked dogfish and sprat. A benchmark assessment for rapa whelk (Rapana venosa), in the presence of an external reviewer, was also incorporated into the SGSABS meeting. The benchmark was not considered finalized, but validated quantitative advice was provided for this stock. Black Sea anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus) was analyzed at a different benchmark session held on 4–6 July 2023.