The importance for maritime protection is diminishing in the size of navies as a whole.
Compared to when?
The current numbers of
avisos for patrol in the French Navy are the same number since the late 70s. Actually it's rising slightly since then. For mid-decade in each case:
1950s (38): 4 offshore patrol vessels, 34 WW2 sloops
1960s (34): 4 aviso-escorteurs (wartime ASW role), 16 WW2 sloops, 14 general patrol boats
1970s (34): 9 aviso-escorteurs (wartime ASW role), 25 general patrol boats
1980s (26): 9 aviso-escorteurs (wartime ASW role), 17 general patrol boats
1990s (22): 6 surveillance frigates (wartime ASuW role), 3 aviso-escorteurs (wartime ASW role), 13 general patrol boats
2000s (22): 6 surveillance frigates (wartime ASuW role), 16 general patrol boats
2010s (26): 6 surveillance frigates (wartime ASuW role), 9 avisos (wartime ASW role), 11 general patrol boats
2020s (27): 6 surveillance frigates (wartime ASuW role), 9 avisos (wartime ASW role), 9 new OPVs, 3+ general patrol boats
The "general patrol boats" in that were pretty much always lightly armed - anywhere from a single 20mm to two 40mm at most.