CCLIMB’Up aims to identify and predict the consequences of climate warming on whelk stocks in Normandy and on the fishing fleets that depend on them, in order to optimize the sustainability of the fishery and the economic viability of fishing companies, particularly by adapting management measures and fishing techniques to the stock status.
In this project, the partners will characterize the variations in the thermal conditions of the whelk habitat (seasonal, interannual variations, and heatwaves), quantify the life history traits of whelk in the Western and Eastern English Channel, explore the impact of environmental conditions on whelk growth and reproduction, investigate the factors and processes involved in reproductive cycle disturbances induced by variations in environmental conditions, and observe the impact of environmental factors on whelk burrowing behavior.
To ensure the continuity of data collection necessary for stock assessment, a methodology for evaluating exploitation sustainability adapted to data availability will be proposed.
The socio-economic situation of whelk fishing companies in the recent context of resource decline and market difficulties is central, and the fishery, ecological, and socio-economic consequences of potential management measures will be explored to support fishing companies in this crisis situation.
