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The MedSudMed Training course on macroscopic identification of maturity stages for the Mediterranean fisheries resources, Tajura, Libya, 9–11 July 2006 was primarily intended for the scientists of the Marine Biology Research Centre (MBRC) and focused on the macroscopic identification of maturity stages of demersal fishery resources. The objective was to teach the basic techniques for the processing of samples and macroscopic identification of maturity stages for different species of fish. More specifically, background information on maturity stages of demersal fishery resources, including basic notions and terminology, was provided. The course also included a general description of the reproductive organs of the main fishery resources (fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods), an analysis of slides illustrating the macroscopic identification of maturity stages in the Mediterranean species, a description of and comments on the maturity scales currently available. Practical exercises were organized with fresh samples of Sardinella aurita, Scomber japonicus and Spicara flexuosa, and simple techniques, algorithms and exercises to retrieve data on reproductive features (macroscopic) were taught. Following the biological analysis, simple elaboration of the resulting data was performed. All the participants in the course showed interest in the topics and some of them proposed the development of collaboration and new studies on the fish species distributed in the Libyan waters.