In Saint-Brieuc, scallops are champions of sustainable fishing

“The quality of the fishing has always been at the heart of our management of the scallop deposit in the bay of Saint-Brieuc”, says the spokesperson for the departmental committee of maritime fishing and marine farming of the Côtes-d’. Armor (CDPMEM). On December 7, 2022, it became the first scallop fishery in France to receive Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. This label, created by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 1997, guarantees that the molluscs come from sustainable and ecological fishing. Fishermen leave enough shells in the ocean to allow the species to survive, while continuing to ply their trade.

“Getting this label today is a kind of recognition of the regulatory work carried out by fishermen for years”, rejoices the CDPMEM. Today, 228 vessels fish in the bay and will therefore benefit from the label. The CDPMEM must formalize the obtaining of the label this Friday, January 27 at noon.

Sustainable fishing since the 1970s

“In the 1960s and 1970s, there were few restrictions and a lot of overfishing in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc. At that time, up to 12,000 tonnes of scallops could be landed in a single fishing season. Up to 420 boats could go there without control”, says Servane Le Calvez, scientific manager of the CDPMEM.

Today, fishing has been limited: in 2022 it was 8,000 tonnes. “In recent years, we have harvested between 4,000 and 5,000 tonnes on average. The figure has increased because production is doing well,” observes Servane Le Calvez.

From 1973, fishermen wanted to regulate the activity themselves. Every year, they call on the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) to count the number of molluscs present. Fishermen must have a license to practice their activity. In a decree of January 16, the regional committee for maritime fisheries and marine farming in Brittany determines three fishing days in January as well as strict timetables. Per day and per boat, it authorizes a maximum fishing volume of 500 kg.

Another way to guarantee durability, they have installed rings on the shellfish-catching tools, leaving the scallops too small on the sea floor. Since 2017, the shellfish cannot be taken out of the water. he is less than 10.2 cm tall. “If it’s too small, that means it won’t have time to reproduce at least once before being caught,” explains the scientific manager.

In the bay of Saint-Brieuc, the reproduction cycle began at the end of July. But in recent years, the date has moved back. “With us, the shell is fished outside the breeding season, from October to mid-April. We are gradually postponing the launching of our boats because we are seeing, with global warming, that they are reproducing earlier and earlier, from the end of May,” adds Servane Le Calvez.

A guarantee of quality against the competition

The French consume an average of 1.2 kg of scallops per year, propelling it to the top of the most popular molluscs. “Today the stock of scallops is doing well, if there were tensions in the 1970s, now it is much better,” rejoices the CDPMEM. Ifremer has estimated that there are today 87,700 tonnes of scallops in the bay of Saint-Brieuc, a 19% increase in population compared to 2021. Of this figure, 46,000 tonnes are usable, i.e. exceed the regulatory size. This is 5% more than last year. As a job creator and economic driver, scallop fishing is of major importance for the region.

The bay of Saint-Brieuc is not the only one to achieve exceptional figures. Ifremer also noted in the bay of the Seine, north of Le Havre, more than 85,000 tonnes of shells that can be fished. Obtaining the label for the Saint-Brieuc fishery aims to secure its market, while giving a better image of fishing. “This label allows us to open up to new markets. The MSC is recognized at the retail level. Even the fisherman who sells his product directly with the label provides consumers with a guarantee of quality,” summarizes Servane Le Clavez.

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