Issued discussed during the Committee's 6th session include: the work of its subcommittees during the inter-sessional period, research activities undertaken, advice on fishery management and research, and the workplan for 2003-2004. The Committee called on the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean to encourage the adoption of measures regarding the fishing of selected small pelagic and demersal recruitment stocks at levels compatible with sustainable exploitation. It also requested that the Commission reinforce the implementation of the measures to help reverse declining biomass of a number of important stocks.

This publication reports on the 8th session of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, which was held in Tirana, Albania in October 2005. Issues discussed include: fishery management proposals emanating from the work of sub-committees; research priorities and its workplan for 2006; measures for the protection of certain marine ecosystem including gear selectivity issues and stock assessment methodologies.

The session, attended by delegates from 21 members of the Commission as well as observers from intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organization together with the Russian Federation, appraised the achievements by its subsidiary bodies, the activities of the regional projects to support GFCM as well as the outcome of the Coordinating Meeting of the Sub-Committees (CMSC). Les delegues de 21 membres de la Commission, des observateurs d'organisations intergouvernementales et d'organisations non-gouvernementales ainsi que la Federation Russe qui ont participe a ce Comite, ont examines les activites de ses organes subsidiaires et celles des projets regionaux qui soutiennent la Commission ainsi que les resultats de la Reunion de coordination des sous-comites (CMSC)."