Abstract
Although central to fisheries management, the MSY concept has significant limitations when the complexity of the fisheries socio-ecosystem is taken into account. This thesis contributes to the debate on sustainable fisheries management reference points through a dual modeling approach: (1) an analytical approach using a simplified model of a single population, to highlight the sensitivity of MSY to the species’ life cycle when intraannual time scales are taken into account; and (2) a complex modeling approach, to best integrate the multi-species and multi-fleet character of real fisheries. It also completed the ISISFish model for the Bay of Biscay demersal fishery. This model was then used to highlight the conflicts generated by the search of MSY in this type of fishery, and to test how these could be mitigated or aggravated by possible management measures. In both approaches, particular attention was paid to how population stability and resilience was impacted by fishing. It is suggested that future management take greater account of this important dimension of fisheries sustainability.