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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The fourth meeting of the Subregional Group on Stock Assessment in the Black Sea (SGSABS) was held in Burgas, Bulgaria, from 15 to 19 November 2016, forestalled by the Brainstorming meeting on the GFCM BlackSea4Fish project that was held on 14 November. The key objectives of the meeting were to: i) review the status of the main fish stocks in the Black Sea – with a special focus on turbot (Psetta maxima) and small pelagic species stocks; ii) review the existing data and assessment methods for the main stocks in the area; and iii) review input data and attempt analytical assessments for turbot (Psetta maxima), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), whiting (Merlangius merlangus), Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda), European anchovy, Black Sea subspecies (Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus), horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus), picked dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and European sprat (Sprattus sprattus). Six assessments were validated by the group and, among these, only the stock of European sprat was considered to be sustainably exploited; picked dogfish was assessed as depleted and the other stocks were assessed as in overexploitation.