| Summary: | Section 18 was added in September 2022; In December 2022, Executive summary, Section 11 and Annex 5, 6 and 9 were updated whilst Sections 10 and 12 were added. The main terms of reference for the ICES Working Group for the Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak (WGNSSK) were: to update, quality check and report relevant data for the working group, to update and audit the assessment and forecasts of the stocks, to produce a first draft of the advice on the fish stocks and to prepare planning for benchmarks in future years. Ecosystem changes have been analytically considered in the assessments for cod, haddock and whiting in the form of varying natural mortalities estimated by the ICES Working Group on Multi Species Assessment Methods (WGSAM). Benchmarks in 2021/2022 Full benchmarks were conducted during 2022 for WGNSSK stocks. These were on haddock in Subarea 4, Division 6.a and Subdivision 20 and plaice in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20. An inter-benchmark protocol (IBP) meeting took place in summer 2022 for sole in Division 7.d, to include adjustments of the assessment model configuration and tuning indices. State of the Stocks The main impression in recent years is that fishing pressure has been reduced substantially for many North Sea stocks of roundfish and flatfish compared to the beginning of the century. All fish stocks with agreed reference points (Category 1 stocks) are above Blim, apart from cod in Subarea 4, Division 7.d and Subdivision 20. The SSBs of cod in Subarea 4, Division 7.d and Subdivision 20, sole in Subarea 4, sole in Division 7.d, and saithe in Division 3.a, Subareas 4 and 6 are below MSY Btrigger at the beginning of 2022. Also, the SSB of witch in Division 3.a, Subarea 4, Division 7.d, estimated in the middle of the year (at spawning time) 2022 is below MSY Btrigger. Several North Sea stocks are exploited at or below FMSY levels (cod in Subarea 4, Division 7.d and Subdivision 20, haddock in Subarea 4, Division 6.a and Subdivision 20, plaice in Subarea 4 and Subdivision ...
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