Report of the eighth session of the Scientific Advisory Group, Merida, Mexico, 3–4 November 2017. Rapport de la huitième session du Groupe scientifique consultatif, Merida, Mexique, 3–4 novembre 2017. Informe de la octava sesión del Grupo Asesor Científico, Mérida, México, 3–4 de noviembre de 2017

Book excerpt: The eighth session of the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) was held in Merida, Mexico, on 3-4 November 2017. The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) hosted the session at the venue of its seventieth annual conference. The SAG discussed the outcomes of the work carried out by various joint working groups in 2016–2017 and their Recommendations to WECAFC 17. The SAG reviewed the status of the main fish stocks in Area 31 and discussed the impact of the increase in Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) fisheries on the current stock assessment methods used. The SAG further got updated on the functioning of the Interim Coordination Mechanism for Sustainable Fisheries, the WECAFC-FIRMS partnership and the activities of partner agencies in the region. A list of specific SAG Recommendations for the attention of WECAFC 17 is included in the preface of the report