Opinion by written procedure: assessment of black sea stocks (STECF-OWP-11-06)

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries gave its opinion by written procedure in November 2011 on request by the European Commission. In response to the ToR the STECF EWG 11-16 on Black Sea stock assessments has accomplished seven stock assessments approaches of sprat, turbot, anchovy, whiting, horse mackerel, piked dogfish and rapa whelk. Relevant data have been compiled and reviewed, including those called officially by DG Mare through the 2011 DCF data call for the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Expert knowledge completed the data underlying the stock assessment approaches. The methods and data of the seven stock assessment approaches are documented in section 6 of the present report. For four analytically assessed stocks, i.e. sprat, turbot, anchovy and whiting, fisheries management advice is provided.