Download the report (available only in English): PDF

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The eighth meeting of the Subregional Group on Stock Assessment in the Black Sea (SGSABS) was held online from 4 to 8July 2022.Thekey objectives of the meeting were to: i)review the status of the main fish stocks in the Black Sea; ii) review the existing data andassessment methods for the main stocks in the area; and iii) attempt analytical assessments for turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), whiting (Merlangius merlangus), horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus), piked dogfish (Squalus acanthias),European sprat (Sprattus sprattus), rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) and anchovy(Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus);and iv) provide advice on stock status and research priorities to improve knowledge on the status of the stocks.Seven assessments were validated. Advice was provided on the status ofseven stocks in the Black Sea: Black Sea turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus), piked dogfish (Squalus acanthias), whiting (Merlangius merlangus), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) and Black Sea anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus). Of these, qualitative precautionary advice was given for Black Sea anchovy, horse mackerel, piked dogfishand rapa whelk, as the assessments were considered indicative of trends; more comprehensive quantitative advice was provided for turbot, red mullet and whiting. No advice was provided for sprat: the finalization of the benchmark assessment and the status of the stock for the current reference year was postponed to September/October to be analyzed with the newly prepared dataset.