GES is established based on the biological reference points of fishing mortality (D3C1) and spawning biomass (D3C2) corresponding to maximum sustainable yield.

D3C1 ? The fishing mortality rate of populations of harvested species for commercial purposes is equal to or lower than the maximum sustainable yield levels. Group (a): ): D3C1 measurement unit is the annual fishing mortality rate (F). Two reference points have been considered to set the limits of the fishing mortality rate in the GES classification. The lower limit corresponds to the level of F sustainable, FMSY and the upper limit corresponds to the limit of F (Flim). In practical terms it was used as a threshold level Fpa (below Flim) which guarantees a low risk of F reaching Flim and thus to stock depletion. These reference points have been used for group (a) species in Madeira, where possible in tuna species according to the most recent information provided by ICCAT. Group (b): In this case, two reference points have been considered, obtained by means of a numerical assessment, carried out locally, each stock being considered as a unit to establish the fishing mortality rate limits in the GES classification. The lower limit corresponds to the level of F sustainable, F0,1, as proxy, proxy of FMSY and the upper limit corresponds to the F limit (Fmax.). Evaluations in this group have followed the catch per recruit model (Y/R) of Beverton

Group (a): At national level, the following criteria were used: ?In the case of Spawning biomass (SSB) the reference point used was biomass level Breeding which produces the maximum sustainable catch (MSY) and designated by BMSY. In cases where BMSY was not defined, Bpa was adopted as proxy to BMSY. BPA is a precautionary biomass layer that guarantees a low risk of stock being below Blim, i.e. to impair their spawning capacity. For some species the value of Bpa was adopted as proxy for MSY Btrigger (spawning spawning ?gatiho?). In 2015 the MSY Btrigger was updated to correspond to the lower limit of values dispersion around SSBMSY. Where MSY Btrigger is ?MSY Btrigger? represents ?the lower limit of the 95 % confidence interval of the estimation of SSB, assuming an exploitation pattern at the level of FMSY for a long period? (ICES, 2015). the unit of measurement of D3C2 and is biomass in tonnes, or number of individuals. "in Madeira, this criterion was used only in species of tuna of the group (a), when the reference points made available in the ICCAT evaluations enabled it.

Group (b): In this case, the methodology has been defined according to the distribution area of the species/stock under assessment: Subdivision of Madeira, of the Exclusive Economic Zone of Portugal. While commercial fisheries also provide information on the larger individuals, be susceptible to changes in the fishing pattern over time, in the absence of research surveys, the assessment of D3C3 was addressed in Madeira in this group on the basis of information from commercial fisheries for each species and the Percentil 95 distribution by length (L95) was determined. ?95th percentile of length distribution is an indicator of the presence of individuals of large size in the population (ICES, 2015)?. ?This indicator aims to reflect the state of a population as the increase in fishing pressure on a species may cause a reduction in the proportion of large individuals in the population by reducing the L95? (ICES, 2016a). For 128 determination of the L95 has been used for the length distribution frequencies for each species collected in the statistical sampling under the DCF, as part of the PNRD (National Data Collection Programme) for each year, and the following equation is applied [2]: 95