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ABSTRACT

The Working Group on Vulnerable Species (WGVUL) met at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, on 30–31 March 2026, in hybrid modality, to provide scientific and technical elements to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries (SAC) and the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Black Sea (ACBS).

The main objectives of the WGVUL 2026 were to: i) review subregional risk analyses of fisheries interactions with vulnerable species, including sea turtles, marine mammals, elasmobranchs and seabirds; ii) discuss evidence on areas, periods, gear types and fisheries associated with higher risks of incidental catch and depredation; iii) address key scientific and technical knowledge gaps affecting monitoring, assessment and mitigation; and iv) discuss management options to support the formulation of advice and the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action for Vulnerable Species (RPOA‑VUL).

The WGVUL reviewed a wide range of quantitative and qualitative analyses drawing on observer programmes, logbooks, life-history traits, spatial analyses, tagging studies and strandings data. While acknowledging data limitations and heterogeneous coverage across species groups and subregions, the Group noted that these analyses provide consistent signals supporting a risk-based, spatially and temporally explicit approach.

The WGVUL discussed a broad range of mitigation options addressing both incidental catch and depredation, including gear-based solutions, operational measures, acoustic and visual deterrents, and improved handling and release practices. Results from applied projects and field trials demonstrated that, in several contexts, mitigation measures are sufficiently mature to support targeted application, while retaining flexibility to account for local ecological and socio‑economic conditions.

A key outcome of the meeting was the development of a preliminary toolbox of technical and management measures, structured by high-risk areas, species groups and gear types. The Group considered this toolbox a central output to support the provision of coherent scientific and technical elements to the SAC and ACBS.