Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management

Fisheries is the science of exploiting living marine resources through fishing, and the fisheries engineer is the specialist in analyzing and diagnosing their exploitation and management. He establishes and anticipates the levels and status of exploited stocks as well as the risks of overfishing. The fisheries engineer uses biological data on exploited species and data on fisheries (number of vessels, landings and catches, socioeconomic indicators of fleets, etc.) which he integrates into various mathematical models (predictive models, bioeconomic models, ecosystem models, etc.). The results, interpretations and recommendations established by the fisheries engineer are presented to the manager (Administrative Authority) for better decision-making on the management and development of the fisheries for which he is responsible. The training objectives focus on the imperative of having fisheries and stocks managed and exploited sustainably, but also on maintaining the balance between economic profitability and exploitation of stocks in fisheries.