The Illex Working Group will address two closely related problems. The first is to develop an approach for in-year quota adjustments. The second is to lay the basis for a benchmark stock assessment (Research Track) in 2021. Each task will require involvement of scientists, industry, and managers. Both tasks are focused on the challenge of identifying appropriate catch limits for a dynamic, short-lived species whose survival, growth and abundance on the US shelf are driven by a complex interplay of environmental conditions.