Report of the Working Group on Widely Distributed Stocks (WGWIDE)

The Working Group on Widely Distributed Stocks (WGWIDE) met in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, from 28 August to 3 September 2018. The meeting, chaired by Guðmundur J. Óskarsson, was attended by 31 delegates and 5 by correspondence from 14 countries. The WG reports on the status and considerations for management of Northeast-Atlantic mackerel, blue whiting, Western and North Sea horse mackerel, Northeast-Atlantic boarfish, Norwegian spring-spawning herring, striped red mullet (Subareas 6, 8 and Divisions 7.a-c, e-k and 9.a), and red gurnard (Subareas 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8) stocks. Additionally, a special request from the European Commission on interarea flexibility of horse mackerel fishery was addressed.