What is the state of fish populations in France in 2020? Are their demographics on the up or down? Is the renewal of fish generations assured, and are the ecosystems to which they belong sufficiently productive and healthy to ensure that the waters frequented by our fishermen will continue to provide a sustainable supply of fish, now and in the future?
All these questions are major challenges for France, the fourth country in Europe in terms of the volume of fish caught, behind the UK, Denmark and Spain. As they do every year, scientists, including those at Ifremer, are attempting to answer these questions by providing analyses that enable us to draw up an annual assessment of the state of the main populations fished.
What trends are emerging for 2020 at a time when the COVID crisis is leading the fishing industry into a period of considerable turbulence? Ifremer will be supporting fishermen and working to conserve marine ecosystems, because solving the equation for more sustainable fishing means finding a better balance between exploiting resources and conserving the environment. Maintaining this complex balance is the crucial role of science and Ifremer researchers.