Report on eel stock and fishery in France, 2004

This is the french part of the ICES/EIFAC Working Group on Eels report to: a) assess trends in recruitment, stock, and fisheries indicative for the status of the stock; b) further develop the concepts of exploitation and/or habitat restoration objectives leading towards quantitative management targets; c) assess the impact of fisheries on local stocks using harvest rate models in selected systems and relate to escapement targets, or their proxies where data conditions are poor; d) quantify the effect of loss of habitats (by region or country), taking into account the local distribution of eel stocks in rivers; e) assess density-dependent processes in local eel stock dynamics, also in relation to harvesting of recruits (glass eel); f) further develop post-evaluation procedures, quantifying effects of measures currently taken in selected systems; g) review national management plans in the light of the past ICES advice; h) comment on the net effect of national management plans on the stock, their deficiencies relative to recovery of eel stocks, and their potential for integration in an international stock recovery plan.