Evolution des captures de poissons démersaux profonds, au vire-ligne électrique, dans l'ouest de la Réunion, entre 2000 et 2011

In the aim of diversification for small fisheries, a survey has been conducted in 2000 by the Regional Fisheries Committee and the French Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) between 200 and 600 m deep, in the West of Reunion Island. Potential commercial fish stocks have been found out. Numerous professional and recreational fishermen have bought equipment in order to exploit this resource (electric winches). But deep demersal fish is a fragile resource due mainly to low growth and late sexual maturation. Face to this increasing pressure upon a fragile resource, a new survey has been carried out by Ifremer in 2011, with use of the same fishing sites, material and method than in 2000. Results displayed in this report are compared to those of 2000. It turned out that yields of commercial species have decreased in an alarming way (over 90%) together with the fish sizes, data which exhibit a stock overfishing. The only catches of the non commercial species (small squale "Zépine" Squalus megalops) appear comparable to 2000. This survey has now to be confirmed all around Reunion Island.