Project Description

Project Context :

The Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) has colonized a large part of the French river network since the 1990s. Since the 2010s, its development has been observed in two large peri-Alpine lakes (Lake Bourget and Lake Geneva). The lack of scientific data regarding (1) the extent of its colonization, (2) its ecology in these ecosystems, (3) its potential environmental impacts, and (4) its economic impact led to the implementation of the SILAC research program (2018–2023), funded by the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region.

Project Objectives :

The scientific questions of this project were: What is the ecology of the Wels catfish in large Alpine lakes? What resources does it exploit? What is the extent of its colonization? What are the ecological risks?

Project Results

The purpose of the SILAC-BOOK project is to produce a popularized synthesis of the research carried out within the SILAC program, addressing the impact of the Wels catfish invasion in large Alpine lakes in the form of a book.

To go further

Contact : victor.frossard@univ-smb.fr