This project builds on the University of Caen Normandy’s long-standing research on the ecology of commercially exploited cephalopods, including six completed PhD theses.
The objectives of the MOCEM project are to:
- Update stock assessments for cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and squid (Loligo spp.) using surplus production models, and refine squid assessments by analysing each of the two exploited species separately and accounting for their specific biological characteristics.
- Predict the abundance and spatial distribution of new squid cohorts using environmental data, and communicate these indicators at the beginning of the fishing season.
- Assess the extent of interactions between fishing fleets exploiting these resources (France and the United Kingdom for cuttlefish; France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom for squid).
- Contribute to the monitoring of landings from the Normandy fishing fleet by participating in fish market sampling, a programme conducted by the University for more than 30 years.
The project is funded as part of the development of offshore wind farms in the English Channel and through measures supporting the commercial fishing sector.
