Effets de la pêche et du réchauffement climatique sur la coexistence spatiale des espèces de poissons du golfe de Gascogne. Conséquences pour les pêcheries

The populations of fishes dwelling near the sea bed (demersal species) on the continental shelf are usually the object of intense commercial exploitation. The Bay of Biscay shelf is no exception. Hence, populations suffer from this exploitation. Moreover, the general role played by hydro-climatic variations in the regulation of the abundance of demersal fish populations (population dynamics) is traditionally admitted. In the Bay of Biscay, a warming of the surface water has been observed over the three last decades (Koutsikopoulos et al., 1998). Climate change therefore has potential consequences on fish communities. Thus, the structure and dynamics of fish populations on the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay are susceptible to suffer both from the effects of a human activity (fishing) and of climate change (warming). Fisheries should therefore suffer more or less from these changes depending on their adaptation capacity.