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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The data preparation meeting for a small pelagics in the Adriatic Sea (geographic subareas [GSAs] 17–18) was held online on 15–16 April 2024 and dedicated to revising the submitted data and preparing them in support of the Working Group on Stock Assessment of Small Pelagics (WGSASP) session on small pelagics in the Adriatic Sea for updated assessment based on 2023 reference year. The group agreed that for the sardine, all needed data are available, and the biomass index should be built following the 2023 benchmark procedure. On the anchovy data, the group commented on possible effects of the changes in the implementation of Croatian MEDIAS, including the gaps in the historical data, and recommended testing several scenarios for the 2024 advice. The group also considered the request for a new benchmark assessment of the European anchovy in the Adriatic Sea (GSAs 17 and 18) and listed arguments to initiate the benchmark.