Socio-Economic Fisheries Research Cell

General introduction

VISEO is an interdisciplinary research platform within ILVO that delivers technical and socio-economic research results for the fisheries industry, policy-makers and society. The following topics are investigated: 1) the optimization of production and fishing processes, the “economy vs. environment” trade-off and the adaptation of fishing companies to a changing environment; 2) the transmission of sustainability, price, innovation and knowledge throughout the supply chain; 3) the positioning of the Belgian fisheries sector, of locally caught fresh fish vs. imported, farmed fish, and  the impact of international evolutions in fish and commodity prices; 4) the impact of policy measures on the competitiveness of the industry and its environment (quota, fishing effort, discards, etc.) and policy transitions.

Research approach

The research framework of VISEO integrates research with monitoring and data collection. Analysis happens at several levels: the company, industry, value chain, policy and the environment (ecosystem). VISEO encompasses a number of specific research projects: VALDUVIS, FUTUREFLEET, GENESYS case discards, and NDGP socio-economic data. In the future, this list can still be extended. ILVO researchers from Fisheries Biology, Technical Fisheries Research, Aquaculture and the Social Sciences Unit combine their expertise in these various research projects.

Relevance/Valorisation

The Belgian fishing fleet operates in a complex, changing and uncertain environment. The socio-economic approach is gaining more importance for the exploration of the possibilities to improve the competitiveness of the Belgian fishery. Policy-makers, industry and science are asking for more socio-economic research to underpin and facilitate the transition towards a more sustainable fisheries industry.