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ABSTRACT

The Working Group on Stock Assessment of Demersal Species (WGSAD) Session I - Vertebrates was held in Rome, Italy, in hybrid modality, from 8 to 12 December 2025. The main objectives of the meeting were to: i) review the consistency of procedures to provide advice; ii) review the assessment of demersal stocks; iii) run a hands-on data session to deal with methodological issues. Out of the 34 assessments presented, 32 were validated. Some of the assessments were accomplished within the framework of the relevant expert working groups of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) of the European Commission. Of the 32 validated stocks, 20 (62.5 percent) were accepted for providing quantitative advice. Fifteen out of the 32 validated assessments adopted during the WGSAD meeting indicated sustainable or possibly sustainable stock exploitation. About half of the assessments indicating sustainable exploitation were referring to various red mullet and European hake stocks.