Breton fishermen at Guilvinec are grappling with a difficult crisis, having lost over half their fleet in a year. Decreased fish availability has sparked anger among workers, with market activity dropping by 30%. As local officials consider consolidating fisheries, some, like Ludovic from Loctudy, are determined to preserve their maritime identity by developing new projects, including aquaculture initiatives. The closure of their port could jeopardize 300 jobs, highlighting the deep economic and cultural ties to fishing in the region.
‘There’s a freedom being out at sea; it’s the most beautiful job in the world—certainly very tough, but incredibly rewarding.’ In the harbor of Guilvinec, Breton fishermen continue to grapple with the ongoing crisis. ‘We always feel a bit anxious, but we’ll see what happens.’ As they unload their catches on the dock, the atmosphere is bleak. In just one year, 26 trawlers have been dismantled, which amounts to over half of the local fleet—boats known for catching langoustines, a symbol of the southern Finistère.
For those still operating, times are tough, and the fishermen are frustrated. ‘There aren’t many options left but to fight to keep our profession. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world,’ said one fisherman. Since the shooting for a TF1 crew a year and a half ago, activity at La Criée has plummeted by 30%. Dock workers have shared off-camera the hardships they’ve faced in recent months, with the number of workdays halved. Fewer boats mean fewer fish to unload and sell. Marc, a wholesale fish buyer for 20 years, typically procures between 5 and 10 tons of local species such as doradas, skates, and rays each week. ‘What interests me here are the French boats, the local ones,’ he emphasizes.
Today, he struggles to find the fish quantities he needs in Guilvinec and has fewer options to choose from. For instance, that morning only 35 tons were available for sale. ‘Currently, that seems acceptable. However, a decade ago, we had 120 tons every Monday and between 70 and 90 tons daily. Some days, there’s hardly anything at all,’ Marc laments in a TF1 news segment featured at the top of this article.
The ‘Irréductibles’ of Loctudy
In search of more products, each morning at 5:30 AM, he turns on his computers to monitor sales at four different fish markets: ‘Getting boats out to sea and having fish brought in is crucial for us. We need volume. If they aren’t out fishing, we can’t work. And then, there won’t be any French fish available in the market.’
The entire fishing industry in Guilvinec is facing a crisis. Across the harbor, the shipyard is operating at a crawl. Workers like welders, electricians, painters, and carpenters are all affected as activity slows down. They are assessing waterproofing and repairing the hull’s caulking. Pauline Henaf-Jézequellou now heads the family business founded by her great-grandfather in 1928. Her workshop is nearly vacant. The future has never looked so grim. ‘Normally, there’s noise everywhere. But at the moment, it feels rather gloomy. We need to explore diversification avenues to preserve our businesses,’ the young woman explains.
What can be done when fishing is the main employer in the region? Local officials are stepping up. At the departmental council managing the fish markets, there is talk of eventually closing some to streamline port activity towards Guilvinec. ‘If the decline in fish volumes persists because we fail to bring new boats to the docks, we might have to consider consolidating fish sales at fewer markets. We’re not there yet,’ says Maël de Calan, president of the mixed ports union of Cornouaille and president (LR) of the Finistère department. This perspective is firmly rejected by the fishermen from Loctudy. About ten kilometers from Guilvinec, we meet Ludovic. The TF1 team was with him when he retired two of his old boats, which had become unprofitable and burdensome to maintain. He opted for their destruction in exchange for a €1 million government grant, which helped stabilize his business finances. He currently has five boats left. ‘It has been a very challenging year. Since then, it’s a precarious balance. But overall, fish prices have seen a slight improvement,’ shares Ludovic Le Lay, director of the ‘Hent ar bugale’ fishing fleet.
Loctudy is the fishing port where he grew up. He refuses to let the maritime activity fade away. Alongside fellow professionals, dubbed the ‘Irréductibles,’ they strive to develop new projects at La Criée, which occupies a 10,000 square meter facility. ‘The goal is to nurture new activities like seaweed farming, shellfish farming, and mussel farming,’ he explains. They have 21 proposals aimed at establishing a restaurant, a cannery, and a diving club, all of which