In overexploitation, with relatively high biomass.
[The GFCM methodology to provide stock status and management advice is described in the Appendix F of the Sixteenth Session of the Scientific Advisory Committee Report. See the Bibliography section.]

Stock assessment in the GFCM area of application is often conducted by management units, based on GSAs. This method does not ensure that the whole stock is assessed, since stocks may cover several different management units. In some cases, when there is scientific evidence of a stock spreading through different GSAs, as well as information on species from different GSAs, existing information is combined across GSAs. This is then defined as a “joint stock assessment of a shared stock”. The GFCM recommends that when scientific evidence of shared stocks exists, joint stock assessments should be attempted. A number of activities aimed at achieving a better definition of stock boundaries are currently being conducted at the GFCM level. [The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries, 2016]

Both species of red mullet (Mullus surmuletus and Mullus barbatus) are exploited by trawl and small-scale fleets in GSA 6, although small gear (trammel nets and gillnets) account only for 5 percent of the total landings of these species (Demestre et al., 1997). Trawl fisheries developed along the continental shelf and upper slope are multi-specific. Small vessels (12-16 m length) operate mainly on the shallow shelf targeting red mullets, octopus, cuttlefish and sea breams. Medium and large vessels usually operate on deep continental shelf and slope areas targeting European hake and crustaceans, but some of these units can also operate on the shallow shelf depending on weather conditions and market prices. Red mullet is more intensively exploited from September to November, coinciding with the recruitment period of this species (Martín et al., 1999). The total trawl fleet in the GSA 6 has declined from 810 boats in 1998 to 405 boats in 2019; around 30 percent of these boats regularly operate in shallow shelf. According to official statistics, the fishery developed quickly during the seventies reaching a maximum of 1 669 tonnes in the year 1982. Since then landings have widely oscillated around a mean value of 1 196 tonnes (2004-2019) although a decreasing trend is observed. Catches in the period 2004-2010 were composed mainly of individuals of age groups 0 and 1. After the enforcement of the new mesh type in 2010 (40 mm square or alternatively 50 mm diamond) catches in 2011-2019 were composed mainly by individuals of age groups 1 and 2.