South Biscay Fisheries research unit

The South Biscay Fisheries (Halieutique Gascogne Sud — HGS) research unit is dedicated to the understanding of the dynamics of fisheries resources in the Bay of Biscay and enhancing knowledge on fish ecophysiology and behaviour.

Research

The studies and research of the HGS unit on the dynamics of exploited populations fit along the basic-applied research continuum to provide authoritative scientific advice on the impact of fishing on fisheries resources. The bulk of the unit’s activities are spent ensuring the quality of the annual diagnosis data on the flounder stocks in the Bay of Biscay, a major issue given the importance of this resource. The past few years have concentrated on the improvement of methods and data for the diagnosis of the status of data-poor stocks (undulate ray, porbeagle, and more recently red mullet, whiting, and pollock in the Bay of Biscay).

The individual-population link constitutes the second topic, in particular for the impact of persistent pollutants on fish ecophysiology with a focus on the alteration of reproduction and behaviour, essential functions for population maintenance.