Fishing
An industry that defines Normandy
With 2 fish markets (out of 4 in Normandy), 1/3 of the landed catch, a wide variety of highly valued species (sole, squid, smooth-hound, whiting, pouting, turbot, skate, spotted dogfish, scallop, whelk, brown crab, spider crab, lobster), our ports are leading players in this industry that defines the identity of Normandy.
Each port has wharves dedicated to the unloading of fish and the two fish markets have efficient equipment (ice, commercial fishing equipment supplier, fish box supply, road haulage, etc.) that is regularly updated (chilling/freezing, logistics, etc.).
The fleet comprises a dozen deep-sea vessels and more than 100 coastal fishing boats. Every year they land over 12,000 tonnes of fish, shellfish and crustaceans to supply a seafood processing sector which is also located in the ports of Dieppe and Cherbourg.
Christophe Fouquet
Industrial clients / Ship and boat repairs contact
Caen-Ouistreham fishing industry
The port has a home fleet of fifteen vessels but also accommodates more than 150 visiting vessels, especially during the scallop fishing season. These are inshore and coastal fishing vessels. Every year the landing point, which features a 100 m quay and a 2,100 m² logistics and weighing platform, registers 1,500 tonnes of fish. Fishing products are transported to Port-en-Bessin fish market or sold directly on the quayside, the latter having 24 fish stalls where fishers can sell their catches.
Cherbourg fishing industry
With its wet dock and 5–6,000 tonnes of fish products landed by deep-sea and coastal vessels, the Cherbourg Fish Market offers a wide range of services: ice supply, sorting, labelling, cold rooms, fish tanks... It is the heart and first link in the peninsula’s seafood processing industry, and provides the equivalent of 1,000 full-time jobs. Ports of Normandy supports this industry by providing dedicated areas equipped with seawater intakes in the Produimer and Collignon business parks.
Dieppe fishing industry
With more than 400 m of quay dedicated to fishing in the Duquesne dock, a 870 m² refrigerated market with access to the Ango Dock regardless of the state of the tide, the capacity to unload 24/7 on the careening quay, a business enjoying continuous growth to reach almost 5,000 tonnes of fish, shellfish and crustaceans landed and sold, the Dieppe fish market is integral to the structure of the region’s fishing industry. It offers various services, such as collection, refuelling, fish box supply, commercial fishing equipment supplier, and wholesaler unit. And of course, Dieppe is the home of the prestigious red label scallop!
Brief overview
The Montalivet Barrage was built across the river Orne in 1908, and rebuilt between 1947 and 1949 after being damaged during the war. It plays a key role in the operation of the Port of Caen-Ouistreham. It keeps the water level in the Orne constant to supply the canal between Caen and the sea so that large commercial vessels can access the city.
Conservation of biodiversity
To ensure the ecological coherence of the Orne, animal species must be able to travel freely along its waters and sediment must also be allowed to circulate. However, a study carried out in 2016 revealed that the existing fish pass is too selective and does not ensure free passage for all the species targeted by regulations, such as eels, Atlantic salmon, sea trout, river trout, lampreys, pike, rheophilic cyprinids and allis shad.
A project still under assessment
A technical committee involving representatives from public bodies (DREAL, DDTM, French Office for Biodiversity), the regional water authority, Caen la Mer authorities, the French Fishing Federation and Ports of Normandy has identified a new fish pass that would be suitable for all the above species. The downside is that, in 2024, the studies carried out led to a cost estimate of 8 million euros for the works, well above the €800,000 initially estimated. This sizeable difference in cost is primarily explained by the complexity of the site, which includes a structure exposed to tidal flows and river flooding, the presence of rainwater drainage and power line networks nearby, and a poor-quality subsoil. All these complications require elaborate construction solutions.
In response to these challenges, the elected representatives of Ports of Normandy met on 15 November 2024 and decided to carry out further studies to ensure that the work eventually undertaken meets environmental rehabilitation goals in an economically sustainable way. The studies will gather more information about fish populations, analyse how the structure effectively operates and examine all possible solutions. We should have the results by autumn 2026.
Brief overview
In partnership with the Association Nationale des Ports Maritimes Territoriaux and the 9 ports on the Channel and North Sea coast, in late 2018 the Port of Dieppe initiated an environmental assessment on sediment, waste, water quality, invasive species and the environmental coherence of its territory.
A comprehensive appraisal was undertaken across the ten ports concerned and allowed us to rank the environmental impacts and thus prioritise the actions to be performed.
Ports of Normandy is currently in the phase of assimilating the action plans and the practical local variations, in partnership with the local stakeholders concerned.
Example of an action
In the fight against marine exotic invasive species, Ports of Normandy renewed its partnership with the University of Caen Normandy to pursue a research project on the colonisation of these species on submerged plates in Dieppe marina.