Report of the Working Group on the Assessment of Mackerel, Horse Mackerel, Sardine and Anchovy (WGMHSA)

The Working Group on the Assessment of Mackerel, Horse Mackerel, Sardine and Anchovy (WGMHSA) met in Vigo from 5-16 September, to assess and provide catch options for four different pelagic species widely distributed in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. The WG reports on the status of all 7 stocks (see Fig. 0.1 for stock definitions), and in case of Sardine also on the status of the species distributed outside current stock definitions. This year a benchmark analytical assessment is available for Anchovy in Biscay and update analytical assessments are available for Northeast-Atlantic Mackerel and Sardine in VIIIc and IXa. Western Horse mackerel is in a benchmark year, so an in-depth exploratory analysis was carried out using several models (with different assumptions) as well as exploring the signals in the input data. Southern horse mackerel and Gulf of Cadiz anchovy assessments are still in a developmental stage, whilst no assessment was possible for North Sea horse mackerel.