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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Ad hoc Working Group on Turbot Technical Measures was held on 2–3 June 2025 in Burgas, Bulgaria, in a hybrid format. The meeting was convened to review ongoing efforts, assess recent technical findings, and formulate a coordinated toolbox of evidence-based technical measures to support sustainable management of Black Sea turbot fisheries while minimizing bycatch, particularly of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta). The first day of the meeting was limited to representatives of national administration and invited experts and focused on technical presentations and discussions. The second day was open to a wider audience and aimed at broadening stakeholder engagement. Key discussions centred around; i) review of existing national and regional technical measures, ii) presentations of results from the CetaByM pilot project, including awareness-raising efforts, fishing effort estimation, testing of wide-band Porpoise Alerting Devices (PALs), and gear modifications to reduce bycatch of harbour porpoise, iii) spawning periods, size at-maturity, turbot survivability, and small-scale fisher knowledge, iv) effect of different mesh sizes on turbot gillnet selectivity. The main outcomes of the meeting were a draft toolbox of technical measures, integrating stakeholder views, and the formulation of recommendations for the Working Group on the Black Sea, addressing data collection, mitigation strategies, discard monitoring and gear selectivity.