The Fifth Workshop on Designing an Eel Data Call (WKEELDATA5)

The Fifth Workshop on Designing an Eel Data Call (WKEELDATA5) was held in February 2024. Following the recommendation from WGEEL, this workshop has reviewed and updated the 2024 data call for the Joint EIFAAC/ICES/GFCM Working Group on Eels (WGEEL). Previous data calls and reports from WGEEL were reviewed, and the pre-existing data call templates were modified to address any problems, following previous recommendations (Subgroup 1). Any data call related issues previously reported during either the data calls, data integration processes, or the WGEEL meetings were checked, and the database and the shiny applications and R tools used to pre-fill excel tables, integrate, and visualize data were adapted as required (Subgroup 2). In anticipation of the evaluation of the implementation of the Eel Management Plans (EMPs) (via joint ICES/EC call, as in 2021), additional data call templates were prepared in liaison with a representative of the European Commission (Subgroup 3). Finally, a cover letter was drafted and the roadmap of the remaining tasks that should be addressed before the data call and data integration was produced (Subgroup 3).