During 46 days, they will observe and study the fish resources in the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic Sea. The goal of this annual campaign, which has existed for 28 years: observe and identify fish populations, to provide useful information for fisheries management in the context of sustainable use.
In the second leg, from November 2 to 16, a log will give you fresh news on a daily basis board.
The objectives of EVHOE EVHOE The campaign is part of an observation approach and updating of biological data in the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic Sea. In this context, it provides quantitative and qualitative data on fish populations, their movements and their environment.
These missions are continuing around four main objectives:
establish a time series index of abundance by age of the main commercial species, map the spatial distribution and evolution of fish stocks according to their age and composition, estimate the evolution of the main environmental parameters from one year to another (salinity and temperature of the water in particular) improve knowledge of certain biological parameters (growth, fertility) of the sampled species. Because it takes place every year in the fall (since 1987), EVHOE registers on the long term and allows to study various parameters and monitor their evolution.
What do we do with all this information? All data and scientific analyzes will then be sent to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which annually assesses the stocks of different resources before submitting its recommendations to the European Union.
For geographical regions of the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic Sea, ICES is based on results of scientific studies conducted by France and other countries (Spain, Ireland), as well as data from professional fishing .
The numbers are then used to develop a forecast of recruitment (number of young fish that reach a sufficient size to be fished) of the current year. This forecast is essential to calculate the total allowable Capture (TAC), that is to say the maximum quantities of fish species which may be taken from a demarcated area and a period set by the European Union.