Les rendements par espèce de la pêche chalutière hauturière française de l'Atlantique Nord-Est entre 1972 et 1989

Multiple correspondance analysis and hierarchical ascending classification were used to study catch rate variations in the French deep-sea trawler fleet between 1972 and 1989. The use of these methods clarifies the sometimes complex relationships between catch rates of the main species landed within the total catch and allows a classification of the typical catch rate structures over this period. Factors such as year and fishing areas are those which best explain the observed variations; seasonal variations play a minor role. Catch rates increased and more species were caught between 1972 and 1989. The study shows the relationship between these developments and changes in fishing effort allocation strategies and in fleet structure. Trawlers which exploited the Bay of Biscay during the beginning of 1970's have shifted their effort to the north (north of Ireland and off the West Coast of Scotland) and have been replaced by larger and more powerful boats. During the 1980s, new vessels appeared in the fishery. These boats are smaller and fish in coastal areas