La morue (Gadus morhua)

This work reviews the available data cod. This species is distributed in the cold waters of the eastern and western North-Atlantic Ocean. For the past few decades, cod fisheries worldwide have seen a collapse characterized by a drop in natural population abundance. Landings worldwide in 2000 reached 0,94 million tons ; 10 373 tons of which were landed in France. Farming this species provides and alternative in order to increase production. In both Northern Europe and Canada, interest in developing this activity has revived. The advantages of rearing cod are numerous : females spawn spontaneously in captivity, fertility is high, juveniles grow quickly, since fish weighting 2 kg can be obtained within 2 years. In 2000, the selling price at fish auctions was euros 3,41/kg. In Rungis's market near Paris, 3-4 kg cods went for euros 7-8/kg. Consumers know and like this fish, mainly consumed as fillets. The cod lives in waters which are generally colder than those of the French Atlantic coast. Developing its farming in France will depend on adapting the species to our conditions by taking into account of the growth potential of various populations. This summary is intended for a wide public of scientists, students or industrialists as well as for anyone seeking comprehensive information on this species.