Despite being generally located far from contamination sources, deep marine ecosystems are impacted by chemicals like PCB. The PCB contamination in five fish and shark species collected in the continental slope of the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean Sea) was measured, with a special focus on intra- and interspecific variability and on the driving factors. Significant differences occurred between species. Higher values were measured in Scyliorhinus canicula, Galeus melastomus and Helicolenus dactylopterus and lower values in Phycis blennoides and Lepidorhombus boscii. These differences might be explained by specific abilities to accumulate and eliminate contaminant, mostly through cytochrome P450 pathway. Interindividual variation was also high and no correlation was observed between contamination and length, age or trophic level. Despite its major importance, actual bioaccumulation of PCB in deep fish is not as documented as in other marine ecosystems, calling for a better assessment of the factors driving individual bioaccumulation mechanisms and originating high variability in PCB contamination.

Romdhani A., Ktari M.-H., Dufour J.-L., Mahe K., Francour P. 2016. Growth and age estimation of the greater forkbeard, Phycis blennoides (Actinopterygii: Gadiformes: Phycidae), from the Gulf of Tunis (central Mediterranean). Acta Ichthyol. Piscat. 46 (1): 25-32.Background. The greater forkbeard, Phycis blennoides (Brünnich, 1768), is a gadiform species, which has economical value and its population is dwelling in a 60-800 m depth range throughout the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Along African north coast, there is a lack of information about the biology (age, growth, sex-ratio) of this species. This study provides the fi rst data on population parameters of P. blennoides in Tunisia. Materials and methods. Specimens of Phycis blennoides were collected from the landings of the artisanal fi sheries between September 2007 and June 2010. The length-weight relations were determined according to the allometric equation: W = aTL b . Growth parameters were estimated using the von Bertalanffy growth equation.Results. Length (TL)-weight (W) relations were allometrically positive for the females (W = 22.10 -4 TL 3.409 ), males (W = 13.10 -4 TL 3.674 ), and both sexes (W = 19.10 -4 TL 3.460 ), without signifi cant differences between males and females. The relation between otolith weight and age showed a signifi cant difference between males and females. The growth parameters were calculated as TL ∞ = 57.17 cm, K = 0.193 · year -1 , t 0 = -1.578 · year for the females, and 44.74 cm, 0.313 · year -1 , and -1.210 · year for the males, respectively. The females grew faster than the males which did not exceed 45 cm. The growth performance index Ф′ calculated for the females (2.80 cm· year -1 ) and males (2.79 cm· year -1 ) yielded similar results. Conclusion. Results reported in this work will contribute to the knowledge on the biology of P. blennoides in Tunisia, with the aim of generating suffi cient information to improve future stock management and sustainable fi sheries.

Nonobstant la rémanence de querelles interétatiques, les Etats se font moins la guerre. La tendance, manifeste depuis la fin de la guerre du Golfe, est due à divers facteurs. Parmi ceux-ci, l'inégalité technologique, l'économie devenue symbole pertinent de la puissance, la fin de la guerre froide, l'interdiction de faire la guerre, les progrès de la démocratie. Mais cette raréfaction des guerres traditionnelles n'empêche nullement le développement de conflits internes aux formes dégénérées. L'objectif n'est plus tant le pouvoir d'Etat que l'enrichissement des bandes armées. Face à la multiplication possible des querelles anar-chiques due à la décomposition des Etats, la communauté internationale doit se donner les moyens de rétablir la paix : doctrines ad hoc, armements adaptés, éventuellement non léthaux, forces armées internationales dignes de ce nom.

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Le vingtième siècle se caractérise par une périodisation simple en deux temps très marqués : une dominante de guerres interétatique avant 1945, de guerres civiles après. Cependant, chacune des période montre aussi des situations intermédiaires entre les deux types de conflits : guerres civiles soutenues de l'extérieur, résistances civiles aux occupations militaires, États tenus à bout de bras par leurs protecteurs puis livrés à leur décomposition. Enfin de parcours, c'est l'espace mondial qui se trouve fortement clivé entre une zone développée et pacifique et une zone ravagée par des guerres sans témoin et sans projet.