FRANCE(continue)

7. FISH AND FISHERIES

7.1 Capture Fisheries

From a “legal viewpoint” about 65 species of fish, belonging to 23 families, are considered to be present in the fresh waters of France. See Anon. (France) (1982) for a full list of these species, and Allardi (1984) for an account of the 17 species of exotics then in the French freshwater fauna.

Those species sought after by both commercial and sport fishermen include: European eel (Anguilla anguilla), shad (Alosa spp.), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), brown trout (Salmo trutta), char (Salvelinus alpinus), the introduced lake trout (S. namaycush), various coregonids (Coregonus spp.), pike (Esox lucius), grey mullets (Mugil spp.), European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pike-perch (Stizostedion lucioperca). The introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) provides a minor fishery.

Several species of crayfish are also taken in fresh waters. The most common is Austropotamobilus pallipes, followed by Astacus astacus and A. torrentium. Introduced species are the well established Orconectes limosus, present since 1911, and Procambarus clarkii, Pacifastacus leniusculus, and Astacus leptodactylus, which is raised by French culturists, as well as being the major crayfish imported for food.

Of the finfishes, although its present catch is small, the Atlantic salmon has received much attention, and illustrates some of the problems of fish maintenance in France. At one time, the Atlantic salmon fishery was very important in French streams ranging from Picardy to the Pyrenees and including the Doubs, Moselle Saar and Loire Basin. The decline of this fishery began in the Eighteenth Century after special fishing rights were granted to the Inscrits Maritimes (old enlistees in the Navy) thus allowing overfishing in the estuaries and tidal waters. This was accompanied by an increase in water pollution, navigation, and the construction of barriers to migration. Divided authority between the Ministry of Marine, Bridges and Roads, Hydraulic Services, and Water and Forests further compounded the difficulties of salmon management. As an example of such decline, it has been estimated that the salmon catch in the Loire Basin of about 40 000 fish in 1891 had dwindled to less than 2 000 in the 1970s (Schwiebert, 1975).

Circa 1957, the catch of Atlantic salmon in France was estimated as about 10 000 in Normandy and Brittany, 6 900 in the Loire Basin, and 20 000 in the Gaves des Pyrenees for a total of 36 000 fish or (at 7 kg a fish) 250 t (Charpy, 1957). By 1971, it was estimated that the entire catch of salmon in France amounted to only 2 900 fish by sports fishermen and 1 800 by commercial fishermen (Netboy, 1974). Reduction continued. Even in one of the best French areas, the Adour (Gave d'Oloron basin), between 1972 and 1977 there was a reduction in take from 600 to 200 salmon (66 percent) by anglers and from 2 000 to 100 (95 percent) by commercial fishermen (Brunet, 1980). See also Table 12.

According to Netboy (1974), runs still exist in the Gaves d'Oloron (the most viable salmon fishery in France), d'Ossau, de Nive and d'Aspe in southwestern France; in Brittany in the Aulne, Ellé, Laita and Odet, Triex and Leff; in Normandy in the See, Sienne and Sélune; and in the Allier. Brunet (1980) lists the salmon streams of France (south to north) as follows: Adour (Gave d'Oloron and Nive), Nivelle, Loire (Allier), and about 25 small rivers in Brittany (mainly), Normandy and Picardy.

With respect to the entire capture fishery, FAO (1979), without citing its source, says that the total production from France's inland waters “…is unlikely to be less than 50 000 t…” from both commercial and sport fishing. Similarly (i.e., without indicating its source) and without specifying whether the catch was commercial or recreational, Europa (1988) stated that the catch of fish from inland waters in France in 1985 was 29 820 t. See section 9.1 for other estimates.

7.1.1 Commercial fishing

In addition to the fishes listed above as being sought after by both commercial and sport fishermen, the following are sought after only by professional fishermen: sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), lampern (Lampetra fluviatilis), sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), burbot (Lota lota), silverside (Atherina sp.) and flounder (Platichthys flesus).

According to France/EIFAC (1974), the estimated catch of inland fish for food in France (by professional, semi-professional, and “amateur” fishermen using commercial type gear) was as follows:

1. 5 000 t from freshwater public domain, including rivers and smaller streams;
2. 11 000 t from “étangs” and small lakes and ponds totalling 110 000 ha (it is not clear how much of this production is to be considered of wild fish and how much of fish cultivated on an extensive scale);
3. 2 000 t, mostly of “poisson blanc” from large lakes;
4. 3 000 t of eels and elvers (civelles)¹

¹ Although a basic principle (restated in the Act of 10 July 1970) forbids any non-professional fisherman to sell his catch, nonetheless, the line between “professional” and “amateur” or recreational fishermen is not always clearly drawn in France. For example, with respect to sea fishing, recreational sailors and fishermen can (under a decree of 14 July 1971) use a wide variety and amount of gear for each boat, e.g., 2 trolling rods, 2 longlines with 30 hooks, 2 traps, 1 harpoon, a landing net, and in the Atlantic Ocean, La Manche and North Sea even a trammel net. Furthermore, elvers in the Loire estuary and Allis shad in the Gironde may be fished and sold by non-professionals who live in the area. Resentment of such practices has afforded both latent and open conflict between the two classes of fishermen (OECD, Committee for Fisheries, 1981)

A request to France from EIFAC in 1979 to amend these figures totalling 21 000 t, resulted in no change in the estimates nor in further explanation. Unless the “amateur” fishermen took an exceedingly large percentage of this catch, however, the figures below, which are all based on “official” French statistics show that this estimated catch was entirely too large.

First, we turn to the FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics. With but one exception, during the 1965–84 period it does not contain any useful statistics on the catch of the majority of freshwater fishes in France. During this period the Yearbook states that the catch of “freshwater fishes” or catches in “inland waters” are “not available”, except that - strangely enough - it does provide a list of catches in inland waters for the single year of 1980. (the same information is derived from FISHDAB)². Table 10 provides this record. It will be obvious from the discussion in section 7.2 that the “catch” of 20 000 t of rainbow trout listed in the table represents the aquacultural production for the year. It seems quite possible that most of the “catch” of cyprinids and common carp also represents aquacultural production.

² The French statistical yearbooks are also lacking in such information

Then, in 1985, the FAO Yearbook again started listing the inland fish “catch” in France in some detail (see Table 11). Again, it is quite obvious that most of this “catch” is aquacultural production (see section 7.2).

Finally, we note the estimated maximum commercial catch by inland fishermen in France in 1989 reproduced in Table 12.

The combined evidence from Tables 10–12 plus that shown in Table 13 shows that the commercial catch by inland fishermen in France is quite low.

The FAO Yearbooks do list the catch of diadromous fishes in France for Marine Statistical Area 27, the Northeast Atlantic, and Area 37, The Mediterranean (see Table 13). These somewhat erratic statistics are reproduced here only to illustrate the difficulties of attempting to derive conclusions from such figures. For example, the sudden appearance of the trout catches in the Northeast Atlantic in 1978, and of rainbow trout in 1985–87 (which I doubt), and the ups and downs in the eel catch are all very puzzling.

Partial catches from several areas are recorded by various authors as follows.

Forrest (1976) says that the greatest concentration of eels in Europe is to be found in the rivers flowing into the Bay of Biscay, especially the Loire and the Gironde, and that about 800 million elvers are taken annually in this area. Cantrelle et al. (1982) cites a national catch of 1 345 t of elvers in 1970: 800 t from the Loire, 65 t from the Vie, Lay, Sèvre Niortaise and Charente, 200 t from the Gironde, and 285 t from the Adour. They point out that the elver fishery in France is practised essentially on water courses and certain parts of its Atlantic coast, and that the fishery is considered maritime on the coast and in the estuaries and water courses below the point where salinity ends, and fluvial above this point (see section 8.1). Without good concordance of the marine and freshwater regulations, as well as because of diversities in categorization of the fishermen (maritime, fluvial, professional or amateur), control of the fishery is difficult. With respect to the catch of wild eels in France, Brown (1977, 1983) states that about 4 000 t are taken from fresh water, 3 000 t from brackish waters of the Mediterranean, and 1 000 t from brackish waters of the Atlantic (see also Table 10–12). Most of the large eels from France are exported to Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Most of the eels are exported to Spain.

Another example of commercial catches in an entire estuary, is given by Castelnaud et al. (1982). With respect to the Gironde, the 1978 catch was composed of: 400 t of eels, 190 t of elvers, 630 t of shad and 74 t of lamprey.

Table 10

Nominal catches in the inland waters of France, 1980 (in tons)

Source: FAO Fish.Dept.Fishery Statistical Database (FISHDAB) or FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics, 52 (Publ. 1983)

Table 11

Nominal catches in the inland waters of France, 1985–87 (in tons)

n.e.i not elsewhere indicated
... not available

Source: Yearb.Fish.Stat. FAO, 64 (Publ. 1989)

Table 12

Estimated commercial catch by inland fishermen in France, 1989 (tons)

Source: Babin (1991)

The number of professional fishermen (i.e., those using nets and similar gear) in the inland waters of France during the 1967–88 period ranged from a high of 20 285 (1975) to a low of 9 431 (1987), according to France, Inst. Nat. Stat., 1978, 1982 and 1983. Circa 1990, however, the very detailed study of Castelnaud and Babin (1990) showed that on the national level there were only: 486 professional inland fishermen (those who use nets or similar gear and can market their catch (“pêcheurs professionels fluviaux”), 118 people associated with this industry (“travailleurs de la pêche”), and somewhat more than 1 200 people using lines to catch fish commercially (“pêcheurs commerciaux”). Sixty-three percent of the professional inland fishermen fished intensively and 38 percent of the group had fishing as their only profession. Obviously, inland commercial fishing is declining in France.

Commercial gear used in France for inland fishing comprises the usual equipment: trammel and gillnets, bag nets, eel pots, dipnets, etc. Castelnaud and Babin (1990) illustrate this gear.

7.1.2 Sport fishing

A clear distinction between sport or recreational fishing and commercial fishing in France is that sport fishermen cannot, by law, market their fish. Despite the overlaps in type of gear used by the two groups, most sport fishermen angle, i.e., use hook and line to capture their quarry.

Derivation of statistics on the number of anglers in France is facilitated since it is forbidden to fish “free waters” or eaux libres (see section 8.1) without being a member of an official fishing and piscicultural association and paying an annual fishing tax used for development of national fishery resources. (The following statistics are derived from: Conseil Supérieur de la Pêche (1980), and France, Inst. Nat. Stat. (1978, 1982 and 1983).

In 1950, 1 856 105 people paid this special fishing tax, and during the 1967–80 period the number ranged from a high of 2 874 000 (1967) to a low of 2 359 400 (1980). The Conseil (op cit) further stated that if one took into consideration fishermen exempted under the tax (e.g., those under 16, wives, military personnel on leave), there were about 4 million amateur fishermen in France or one angler per 13 people.

Although the number of licensed anglers has not increased in recent years, fishing pressure is higher because access to many of the better waters is less than in the past. Tourist fishing is also increasing. There is also an increase in the number of people who pay a supplementary tax to fish for salmonids and other carnivorous fish. Rising from 308 815 fishermen in 1950 to a height of 1 956 200 in 1971 and to 1 984 200 in 1988, most of the French sport fishermen now pay this supplementary tax.

About three quarters of the French sport fishermen are bait fishermen (using hook and line supported by a float). The others are primarily cast (spinning), troll and net fishers. Of those who use artificial lures, fly fishermen rank lowest in number.

Table 13

Nominal catches of diadromous species and mullets in marine statistical fishery areas by France, 1965–87 (in tons)
Area 27, Northeast Atlantic

Area 37, Mediterranean and Black Sea

0 probably nil, negligible or insignificant; or less than 50 t during 1965–73, or less than half a ton during later years
n.i.e Not Included elsewhere
- this category not listed this year
... not available
^a listed as sea trout (Salmo trutta)
^b 1965–70 catch estimated by FAO

Source:   1965–69 Yearb.Fish.Stat.FAO, 36 (Publ. 1974)
1970–83 FAO Fish.Dept.Fishery Statistical database (FISHDAB)
1984–87 Yearb.Fish.Stat.FAO. 64 (Pub. 1989)

7.2 Aquaculture

The production in France through aquaculture is difficult to express quantitatively because of a general vagueness in the use of this term (or the allied term “pisciculture”) by many authors. Thus, de Kinkelin and Tufféry (1972) said that according to Charpy (1968), the production from different sectors of pisciculture in France attains 23 000 t/year, divided into 12 000 t from salmoniculture and 11 000 t from ponds (“étangs”). It appears obvious from the authors that a portion of the piscicultural production was used for stocking waters for angling (repeuplement des plans d'eau), and thus does not represent fish culture in the sense that the product is destined for immediate consumption following harvest¹. A later paper (Pillay, 1979) using data derived from France, stated that France's aquacultural production in 1975 was estimated at 15 000 t. From other data at hand (see Table 14), this figure probably represented only the trout production in that year, and unfortunately, the titles of some papers which would appear to cover the subject are grossly misleading².

¹ As Huet (1970) says: “Les poissons élevés sont destinés à la consommation ou au repeuplement des eaux libres (eaux courantes; eaux stagnantes: lacs et étangs naturels et artificiels)”

² A good example is the paper “General Situation of Aquaculture in France” by Rouzaud (1973) which is confined to an outline of research on and the initial production of marine and euryhaline species

Freshwater aquaculture in France is devoted primarily to raising rainbow trout and common carp. Three other cyprinids, tench (Tinca tinca), roach (Rutilus rutilus), rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), and pike (Esox lucius) are also commonly raised in French fish ponds. More or less reliable figures on the production of these fishes are given below. In addition to freshwater pond culture, various finfishes, crustaceans, and molluscs are obtained from brackish or saline waters in France where it is often difficult to distinguish between the products of extensive aquaculture and those of a capture fishery. As elsewhere in this report, the subject of either aquaculture or capture fisheries in littoral “inland” areas where brackish waters prevail is not well covered for France.

Trout. In 1945, France produced about 1 500 t of rainbow trout. It took 20 years to double this production: 2 992 t in 1965. But then in only two years it doubled again to 6 006 t in 1967, and almost redoubled (to 11 595 t) by 1972. It then took about nine years to again double the output to say, 21 000–24 000 t in 1981. Today, France and Italy are the largest producers of consumable trout in Europe. France raised 32 000 t of trout in 1989 (see Table 14). Of these, FES (1989) says that 29 000 were “portion-size” trout and 3 000 t were “large trout”. Almost all of the trout raised for consumption are rainbow, although a few eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are also raised for food (Table 14).

In 1975, there were 700 trout farms in France, but about 200 of these simply bought fish of about 160 g and grew them within a few weeks to sell at market size of 180–200 g. The remaining 500 farms both hatched and grew out trout, and about 50 of these accounted for half of the country's production. Most of the country's production is in northern France, especially Brittany and Normandy.

Trout are both exported mainly to Belgium, and imported mainly from Italy and Denmark.

Although most of France's trout are raised in fresh water, circa 1977 about 200 t were raised in brackish water with yields ranging from 4 to 20 t/ha (Brown, 1983). About half of this production came from the Mediterranean, and efforts are being made to increase trout production in both brackish and sea water. In 1983, about 500 t of trout were raised in salt water according to Fish Farm. Inter., 11(11) (1984), and in 1987 the same statistics held (Allardi, 1990).

Aside from table fish, there is a growing demand in France for trout to be stocked for fee fishing especially near Paris. It is estimated that 5–10 percent of the total production is sold for this purpose.

Table 14

Production of cultivated trout in France, 1965–89 (in tons)

^a All rainbow trout except as follows: 1984 plus 200 t of “others”; 1985 - plus 270 t of “other salmonids”; 1986 - plus “other and unspecified salmonids”

^b All rainbow trout (500 t in the seal) except for 350 t Eastern brook trout in addition

^c All rainbow trout except as follows: 1986–87 500 t brown trout (est.) and 350 t Eastern brook trout; 1988-800 t brown trout (est) and 350 t Eastern brook trout; 1989-1 000 t brown trout and 350 t Eastern brown trout

FAO, Info. Data, and Stat.Serv. (1991) listed brown trout (Salmo trutta) as an aquacultural product of France (interpreted by the author as raising them for food) during the 1986–89 period, but either the listing or the interpretation may be incorrect. Allardi (1990) presents an official French table showing that this species was raised only for “repeuplement” in France in 1987, and the same conclusion probably holds true for both previous and later years. In 1987, about 37.5 million “catchable” (one or two summers) browns plus millions of eyed and alevins were produced for stocking streams, lakes and reservoirs. In short, brown trout are raised primarily to stock recreational fishing waters, and the best trout areas are usually stocked annually.

Coho salmon. In 1975, about 25 t of this introduced Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were produced by the French government at a seawater pilot plant and it was believed that 500 t could be raised by 1980 (Girin and Harache, 1979). Allardi (1990) lists 600 t raised in France in 1987, and FAO, Fish. Info. Date and Stat. Serv. (1991) lists 1 085 t of Coho salmon raised there in 1989.

Cypriniculture. Data on the French production of common carp, related species and associates (such as pike) is by no means as reliable as that which can be obtained for trout production. Brown (in both 1977 and 1983), for example, stated that total cultured carp production in France was difficult to determine - no government studies or data being available. He further stated that estimates of total yearly production of carp ranged from about 5 000 to 14 000 t. He also said that the most intensive carp producer in France, who both fed his fish and fertilized his ponds, produced 225–250 t from 200 ha, an average annual yield of 1.25 t/ha. Brown (1983) stated that very few farmers made their living solely from carp production, i.e., the production and sale of carp were supplemental to other agricultural enterprises. Most carp require three summers of growth in France before being sold for food at a size of about 1 kg. (Matena and Berka (1987) say that their marketable size in France is 1 200–1 800 g). Furthermore, many fingerlings are sold for sport fishing.

A more detailed account of French cypriniculture is found in Williot (1980) under the misleading title of “Etat actuel de la Pisciculture d'Etang en France”; he actually covered only freshwater pond fish culture and that for only some of the major regions of France. However, one does learn that the principal species cultured in these ponds are common carp, roach, rudd, and pike, that most of their reproduction is natural and that fertilization if practised (often it is not) is generally with lime. The ponds are mostly old ones in poorly drained areas otherwise unsuitable for agricultural use, are fed mostly by rainfall, are shallow, usually under 10 ha in area, and owned by agriculturists. The major pond areas of France are: Dombes, Moselle/Lorraine, Brenne, Camargue and Sologne. The average annual yields in the Dombes were 180–200 kg/ha, 140 kg/ha in Lorraine, and 100 kg/ha in Brenne. Harvest is from October to January.

Table 15 shows the aquacultural production in France of cyprinids and all other non-salmonoid inland fishes during the 1984–89 period as listed in two FAO publications. Although the information presented there was obtained from France, it seems probable to me that the table includes both aquacultural production for food and production for repopulation (stocking). For this reason, it is believed that Table 16 illustrating the complete aquacultural production in France in 1987 presents a more accurate picture.

In any case, it appears obvious that common carp production is far greater than that of all other “warmwater fish”. Most of the carp are sent to Germany according to Girin (1989).

Eel culture. Eel are cultivated in fresh, brackish and salt water. In France, eels of 150–200 g could be expected at the end of the second season following intensive feeding. According to Brown (1977, 1983) the only intensive eel farms in France in 1975 were discontinuing their operations because of production problems and low prices. Fish Farm. Int. (1980) has a more optimistic account of a French test station on the Loire where 30–50 t of eel/year could be produced using heated water from a nuclear plant. Extensive eel culture is practised to some extent in France's brackish waters, but wild eel are abundant and most of the catch of adults and elvers is exported.

Crustaceans. Although crayfish are found in all parts of France, they are rare in hard rock regions, and have been reduced because of loss of habitat and the crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci). Crayfish farming was important in France a century ago, but has now diminished to a few farms raising Astacus leptodactylus and A. astacus. Brown (1983) stated that about 10 t of A. leptodactylus were raised at about six French farms. France now depends largely upon imports for its highly desired crayfish supply. In 1978, 2 006 t were imported of which 1964 t were from Turkey (Arrignon, 1981). Only 5 t of crayfish were raised in France in 1989 according to FAO, Info. Data. and Stat.Serv. (1991).

Shrimps or prawns are also raised in France, the introduced giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Asia being one of them.

Table 15^a

Aquacultural production of non-salmonoid inland fishes in France, 1984–89 (in tons)

^a: This table apparently includes all types of aquaculture (both for food and repopulation)
F: FAO estimate

Source:   1984–1985 - Girin (1989)
1986–1989 - FAO, Fish.Info., Data and Stat. Serv. (1991)

Table 16

Official aquacultural production of non-salmonoid inland fishes in France, 1987

Source: Allardi (1990) after a study by G. Pineli of the French Ministry of Agriculture (Bureau aquaculture continentale) in Aqua Revue, (22), Dec. Jan. 1989

Other species. Aside from the culture of molluscs and marine crustaceans (not considered in this report), various euryhaline fishes contribute to the fishery in the brackish littoral waters of France. Predominant among these are: European eel (Anguilla anguilla) (see above) grey mullets (Mugil spp.), sea bass (Dicentrachus labrax), gilthead bream (Sparus auratus) and other sparids, sole (Solea vulgaris) and flounder¹. Their utilization is based primarily on their migration from the sea into lagoons in the spring and their return in autumn when they are usually captured in simple traps. This is, therefore, more of a capture fishery than true aquaculture, and in general aquaculture in French lagoon (termed marais à poisson) has not reached the level of the valliculture (“vallicoltura”) practised in Italy's brackish water (see Italy).

¹ Under the heading “Supply of species with aquaculture potential”, ADCP (1979) states that “According to 1976 statistics, the catches of cultivable species along the Mediterranean coast of France consisted of 1 612 t of mullet, 1 508 t of eel, 283 t of sole, 1 587 t of Sparidae, including the gilthead and other breams, and 1 661 t of demersal percomorphs, including the sea bass”. Obviously these totals do not represent presently cultivated fish, and the statistics do not agree with those of the FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics. (See Table 16)

Although the culture of sea bass and sea bream is still mainly dependent on the capture of wild fry it is now moving towards hatchery production. Circa 1989 there were 6 hatcheries for these fish in France (Girin, 1989.)

Fish feed manufacturers are now well established in France for trout, shrimp and other species, as are manufacturers of aquacultural equipment. Aquaculture is well on its way nationally.

As emphasized before, however, this report does not pretend to cover adequately either aquaculture or capture fisheries in France's brackish waters, even though they may be considered “inland”. There has been some discussion of these in section 5.5 on lagoons, and a recent, if generalized, report of France's coastal aquaculture along the Mediterranean can be found in ADCP (1979).