Fishermen at sea. -

Regional Fisheries Committee

  • All the players in the fishing industry in the Pays-de-la-Loire region have decided to come together as an inter-professional association.

  • The objective is to facilitate exchanges between the various colleges in the sector.

  • An innovative association at national level in this sector.

“If we want to continue to exist, we have to know how to share and talk to each other.

During the health crisis, we really realized that we needed each other.

This is how José Jouneau, president of the Pays-de-la-Loire regional fisheries committee and retired fisherman, justifies the creation of the Loire Océan interprofessional association, which officially came into being on Wednesday to the Regional Council of the region.

A first in France, to hear its founders, at the level of a sector which weighs in the region a little more than 110 million euros of annual turnover.

This association, with a budget of 200,000 euros, brings together five colleges which represent the various players in the sector: producers, fishmongers, tidal and logistics halls, fishmongers, processing and distribution, and of course institutions.

The Covid accelerated the creation of the association

Main objective of this regrouping?

Facilitate exchanges between the various players in the fishery to anticipate inputs, better supply regional and national distribution channels with fresh, French and seasonal seafood, and match supply and demand.

“This association was created because fishermen, fishmongers, distributors etc.

do not know how to talk to each other, summarizes Diane Sabourault, fishmonger in Les Sables d'Olonne.

It's always war when we meet because everyone is defending their parish.

The Covid precipitated its creation and we finally managed to talk to each other.

If, for example, they had landed 20 tonnes of hake when the market could only absorb 10 tonnes, we would have thrown fish in the trash and the fishermen would not have been happy.

In the region, we have been able to work together to adapt the quantities to be fished.

"

José Jouneau confirms: "We got together a lot and called to match the supply and demand of fish, which allowed us not to have too many losses ..." Which obviously was not the case among the neighbors of Brittany.

“We claim French artisanal fishing!

"

With nevertheless a loss of 5 million euros for the producers over the period of confinement and 7 million euros for the entire sector, the members of Loire Océan Filière Pêche believe that without their structuring, the financial impact would have been even more important.

The association also obviously intends to promote short circuits and regional fishery resources (hake, sole, sea bass, pink shrimp, langoustine, etc.).

“We claim French artisanal fishing!

», Launches José Jouneau.

Finally, other challenges are offered to the association, in particular the prospect of a "hard" Brexit [ban for French fishermen to go into British waters] which risks moving fishing boats from the English Channel to the Bay of Biscay and create conflicts over fishing areas.

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