A typology is presented for the French offshore fleet fishing in the North Atlantic. The investigation was carried out separately for all years between 1985 and 2002. Two methods were combined: PCA and cluster analysis. In 1985, most vessels targeted saithe off western Scotland (vessels from Lorient) and in the northern North Sea (vessels from Boulogne and Fecamp). Then, probably because of the decline in biomass of saithe, some vessels started to target deepwater species from the early 1990s. In 2002, some vessels fished exclusively for saithe (>80%), while others targeted mainly deepwater species. In all, 12 fisheries are identified for the period 1985-2002. Results are given of a preliminary investigation trying to identify the external factors (stock biomass, catch limits, price) that may influence the shifts in fishing strategies.