Etude préalable à la gestion des stocks de crustacés en Bretagne

At the end of the seventies, as fishing abundance (based on Catch Per Unit Effort) in crabs and lobster fishery steadily declined, operating expenses increased, and fishing boats changed strategy (changing metiers, covering larger distance to fishing areas, fishing seasons being extended, ...) professionals and scientists aimed to consider reinforcing management measures. To enlighten and support potential related decisions, the Comité Régional des Pêches et Cultures Marines de Bretagne (Regional Committee for fishing and farming in Brittany), together with the ISTPM (Ifremer since 1984), conducted a survey on the exploited populations and gave a review of the involved Breton fleet. This report shows the results of a survey conducted among fishermen, fishermen organisations, auction markets, shellfish traders and Administration in 1980. For each marine district of the Breton coast from Saint-Malo to Saint-Nazaire, the report introduces the distribution of the fleet, the characteristics and equipments of the boats, the fishing areas, calendar of activity, fishing efforts, catch rates and landings for lobster, edible crab and spider crab. The evolution of these indicators is drawn between 1970 and 1980.