Presentation of the project This study on diversification of fisheries activities in the English Channel is framed within the French-British project - CHARM 3 (Channel integrated Approach for marine Resource Management, phase 3).It was selected within the scope of the INTERREG IVA France (Channel) - England cross-border European cooperation programme, co-financed by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). The project started in 2003 in the Dover Strait, and was then extended to cover the eastern English Channel (2006-2008). Since 2009, the study area has been extended to the whole of the English Channel and the south of the North Sea. The expertise involved ranges from marine sciences to economy, maritime law, geography, statistics, conservation and information technology. A deeper understanding of the Channel basin as a whole is necessary if we are to use its resources whilst protecting the health and sustainability of its ecosystems. This will enable the pressure of multiple user groups to be managed in harmony with the capacity of the various habitats. The multidisciplinary integrated approach of the CHARM project provides decision makers with a status report of the English Channel ecosystem and a range of tools based on scientific knowledge for the sustainable management of living marine resources. An integrated and coordinated view on each side of the Channel is therefore vital.