As a result of the rapid and abrupt changes in regulation and the disruption of markets around glass eels, professionals have had to adapt to make the best use of their quota, in particular by taking action on the quality of their fish.

This is why a study to improve the quality of the catches of glass eels from theEMU LCV was carried out from 2013 to 2015, relating to the sieves (gear used for the glass eel fishery).

Ce projet, porté par le COREPEM avec l’appui de l’IFREMER et en collaboration avec le SMIDAP et l’AADPPMFEDLA , s’est décomposé en 3 étapes majeures :

Différents tests en estuaires et en bassins ont été effectués, avec près de 6000 civelles analysées, permettant de mieux identifier l’origine des lésions que pouvaient présenter les civelles ; ainsi 77% des lésions ont été observées au niveau de la queue des individus étudiés.

These results, together with the knowledge acquired by the professionals, led to the design of 3 prototype sieves, with different mesh sizes and different dimensions of the standard sieve. They were tested by professionals in real fishing conditions, on 13 tides during the 2014-2015 glass eels fishing season by 3 vessels from the Loire, the river with the greatest potential to improve the quality of theEMU LCV. One of the prototypes showed a higher average quality than the standard sieve in the order of 25%

On the left, the standard sieve most represented in the Loire in 2014. On the right the prototype which showed the best quality of elvers, whose reserve is divided into two parts: one with a mesh size of 1300µm and the bottom with a mesh size of 900µm.

Following this study, the fishing gear regulation was adapted to the dimensions of the new prototype called "Hydrotamis".

Chaque année de nouveaux professionnels ligériens s’équipent de variantes du prototype dont la réserve du tamis possède les mêmes caractéristiques que l’« Hydrotamis ». Tous observent une meilleure qualité du poisson, dès lors que la vitesse est limitée et la durée du trait réduite.

Thanks to this gear and a rational fishing practice, professionals can claim the certification of their fish.

Hydrotamis prototype in a tank