Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS)

The main objective of WGBFAS was to assess the status and produce a draft advice of the following stocks: • Sole in Division 3.a, SDs 20–24 • Cod in Kattegat, Cod in SDs 22–24, Cod in SDs 24–32 • Herring in SDs 25–27, 28.2, 29 and 32 • Herring in SD 28.1 (Gulf of Riga) • Herring in SDs 30-31 (Gulf of Bothnia) • Sprat in SDs 22–32 • Plaice in SDs 21–23, Plaice in SDs 24–32 • Flounder in SDs 22–23 (no catch advice) • Flounder in SDs 24–25 (no catch advice) The WG was not requested to assess the following stocks in 2019, as no advice was needed: • Flounder in SDs 26+28 • Flounder in SDs 27+29–32 • Brill in SDs 22–32 • Dab in SDs 22–32 • Turbot in SDs 22–32 It was, however, decided by the group to compile and update the input data for 2018 and thereby also conduct update assessments for these latest five stocks.

In the introductory chapter of this report the WG, in agreement with the ToRs, considers and comments on the ecosystem and fisheries overviews, reviews the progress on benchmark processes, identifies the data needed for next year’s data call with some suggestions for improvements in the data call, and summarizes general and stock-specific research needs.

The introduction further summarizes the work of other WGs relevant to the WGBFAS, and the assessment methods used. Finally, the introduction presents a brief overview of each stock and quite extensively discusses the ecosystem considerations of the Baltic Sea and ecosystem changes that have been analytically considered in the stock assessments.

The results of the analytical stock assessment or survey trends for the species listed above are presented for all the stocks with the same species in the same sections. The analytical models used for the stock assessments were XSA, SAM and SS3. For most flatfish (data limited stocks), CPUE trends from bottom-trawl surveys were used in the assessment (except plaice in SDs 24–25 for which relative SSB from SAM was used).

For cod in SDs 24–32, a full analytical assessment (using SS3) could be performed, after the compilation/benchmark work undertaken in 2018–2019. The report ends with references, annexes with the response to a special request, links to Stock Annexes, and list of Working Documents.