Techniques de biologie moléculaire comme outils de gestion des pêches : bilan et perspectives

Abstract

The stock concept implies that genetic diversity and population structure must be considered and preserved in order to optimize the resource use. Nevertheless, management programs have generally lacked clear objectives regarding the conservation of gene pools. Furthermore, fishery biologists have often hesitated to integrate the use of molecular tools to population studies. These factors led to a slow development of a genetic approach in fisheries science when compared to other fields, such as medecine and agriculture. In the context of the "Coloque franco-québécois sur l'intégration des technologies modernes à la gestion des poissons dulcicoles et amphihalins", the main objective of this paper is to state the potential benefits of integrating molecular tools to fishery management. The already available techniques are briefly described and their usefulness supported by "real life" applications. New approaches and their potential applications are also discussed.