The CGFS campaign is part of a historical series of fishing surveys that began in 1988 (CGFS Eastern part, conducted on the R/V Gwen Drez) and was extended to cover the entire English Channel regularly from 2018 (on R/V Thalassa). OInly data for the Eastern Channel is presented. For data from the Western Channel please see "WCGFS".

For both surveys, the main objective is to collect basic data for estimating the state of resources through direct assessment of stock abundance and distribution, along with biological sampling of the catches. Taking place every year between mid-September and mid-October, it contributes to the European project for the contractualization of basic fishery data collection (DCF). The campaign also allows for sampling and a better understanding of the entire ecosystem, aligning with the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries at the community level. The CGFS also provides data for numerous national and international research projects. The collected and validated data are transmitted at the end of each campaign to national databases (SIH, Harmonie, Coriolis) and the European database (DATRAS), enabling their use by different working groups and ensuring public access to this data. Finally, the CGFS data contributes to the baseline assessment of the impact of numerous marine aggregates extraction projects (through a multi-year convention signed between the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning, IFREMER, and BRGM) planned or underway in the Eastern English Channel.