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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Data Preparation Meeting for the updated assessment of blackspot seabream in the Strait of Gibraltar, GSAs 01 and 03, was held from 17–21 October 2022 in the Technical Unit for the Western Mediterranean of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Malaga, Spain. The main objective of the meeting was to provide a platform for reviewing, discussing, and analyzing input data for the assessment of the Blackspot Seabream and to progress on the program of work agreed within the SAC workplan for this species. A revision of the methodologies for the use of a standardized biomass index and different tests with Gadget and Jabba models was performed, confirming that the stock is overexploited with low fishing mortality. Preliminary results from JABBA and Stock Synthesis models supported these results. Further analysis with new CPUE indices will be conducted to refine the stock assessment.