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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The data preparation meeting for eastern Mediterranean demersal and small pelagic stocks was held at GFCM headquarters in Rome, Italy, in hybrid modality, on 22–26 October 2024. The meeting was attended by 16 participants from Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Palestine, Türkiye and Tunisia, as well as from the Secretariat of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). The main objective of this meeting was to provide a platform to review, discuss and analyse input data for priority species, such as European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), sardine (Sardina pilchardus), round sardinella (Sardinella aurita), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), red mullet (Mullus barbatus) and lizardfish (Saurida lessepsianus) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in preparation for the Working Group on Stock Assessment of Demersal Species (WGSAD) and Working Group on Stock Assessment of Small Pelagic Species (WGSASP) sessions to be held in December 2024. In addition, Tunisia joined the group and presented input data for the assessment of small pelagic species in geographical subareas (GSAs) 12 and 13, Central Mediterranean. Information on the following stocks was presented and discussed: European anchovy in i) GSA 26 and ii) GSA 12 and 13; sardine (Sardina pilchardus) in iii) GSA 26 and iv) GSAs 12 and 13; round sardinella in v) GSAs 24 and 27 (Lebanon) and vi) GSAs 26 and 27 (Palestine); red mullet in vii) GSA 24 and viii) GSA 25; and ix) lizardfish in GSA 24. Data were also reviewed, discussed, and analysed for the following stocks: goldband goatfish (Upeneus moluccensis) in x) GSA 27 (Palestine) and xi) GSA 27 (Israel); and xii) axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne) in GSA 27 (Lebanon).