Report of the Working Group on Multispecies Assessment Methods (WGSAM)

This is the fifth report of the pan-regional Working Group on Multispecies Assess-ment Methods (WGSAM). The group met at NOAA in Woods Hole, USA and reviewed ongoing multispecies and ecosystem modelling activities in each ICES ecoregion (including the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean, Iceland, Barents/Norwegian Seas, and eastern USA). The participants provided an updated inventory, to supplement the information col-lated in 2007–2010 (ToR ‘a’ and ‘b’). New information was presented for Iceland, Barents Sea, North Sea, Celtic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Baltic Sea, Northeast US, and the Pacific Northwest. The group reviewed a new key run for the North Sea SMS which includ-ed one new prey species (sprat) and two new predators (grey seals and harbour por-poise). In addition, a summary dataset of natural mortalities, stock numbers and biomasses of the modelled species was compiled and is available for download with the report. The key run-concept was further developed to the extent where the first Ecopath with Ecosim key run for the North Sea was reviewed by the group. Summary data from the run are also available for download with the report.