Workshop on other soles in ICES Divisions 8c and 9a (WKOS)

<p dir="ltr">The Workshop on Other Soles in ICES Division 8c and 9a (WKOS) was convened following a request from DG MARE for ICES to explore the potential to provide scientific advice on Senegalese sole (<i>Solea senegalensis</i>) and sand sole (<i>Pegusa lascaris</i>), which are currently managed under a combined TAC with common sole (<i>Solea solea</i>). The objectives were to review the available knowledge and data, assess their suitability for stock assessment, consider which ICES advice categories might apply, and identify a pathway towards advice in the future.</p><p dir="ltr">The review confirmed that ICES is not able to provide advice for Senegalese sole or sand sole in Divisions 8c and 9a in 2026. The main limitations are the lack of reliable stock identity information and the absence of fishery-independent indices. Current trawl surveys rarely capture these species due to their predominantly coastal distribution, and available fishery-dependent indices are preliminary, methodologically uncertain, or not routinely available. Although some biological information on growth, maturity, and reproduction exists, it is largely restricted to Portuguese waters and may not be representative of the wider stock area.</p><p dir="ltr">Species-specific landings data have been available for Portugal and Spain since 2011 (for Spain, landings are available from 2009), and length composition data are available from 2011 onward. However, in Spain the spatial coverage and sampling intensity only increased substantially from 2021 onwards, which limits the comparability of earlier series. Discards are considered negligible in both countries. While exploratory approaches such as length-based indicators and LPUE indices have been developed in Portugal and could, in principle, support a Category 3 assessment, these remain preliminary, require further methodological validation, and are not yet available for Spain or other potentially contributing neighbouring countries, given the unresolved stock structure. Therefore, the current information base is not sufficient to support such an approach.</p><p dir="ltr">The workshop concluded that no immediate advice can be delivered. However, it identified a clear pathway forward. Priorities include the establishment of dedicated coastal surveys to provide fishery-independent indices, the development of coordinated genetic and multidisciplinary studies to resolve stock identity, the harmonisation of fishery-dependent sampling protocols across countries, and the integration of regional datasets, including those collected by artisanal fleets.</p><p dir="ltr">In summary, while advice cannot be provided for Senegalese sole and sand sole in 2026, the workshop outlined the key steps required to build a robust knowledge base. Implementing this roadmap will enable ICES to deliver advice in the future and will improve the management of all sole species in Divisions 8c and 9a.</p>