Ocean research institute needs focus, say auditors

France’s national oceanography research organisation, Ifremer, needs to adopt a more coherent strategy and cease activities such as oyster farming if it is to thrive, the country’s Court of Auditors has said.

Ifremer, which manages the French oceanographic research fleet, “enjoys a high international reputation”, the Court of Auditors said in report published on 9 September.

However, despite a “largely healthy” financial situation, Ifremer’s “economic model is weakened” by the diversity of its responsibilities, the court said in a statement accompanying the report.