Produits de la mer - n°181 - Avril 2018 - 102

Special feature ❘ BASS AND BREAM

Gloria Maris Group: difference first!
The French leader for bass and sea bream stands
out with its demanding aquaculture as far as production
methods, organoleptic quality and impact
on the environment are concerned.

❘ 102 ❘ PRODUITS DE LA MER N°181 AVRIL 2018

four years to obtain a suitable commercial
size, while some intensive Mediterranean
farms put their fish onto the market in less
than a year," points out Patricia Guidoni,
communication manager. France Turbot
provides turbot hatchery, pre-fattening
and growing on the sites of Noirmoutier
(Vendée) and Trédarzec (Côtes-d'Armor),
where 400 tons are produced each year.
Finally, the marine hatchery at Gravelines
produces 20 million bass alevins, 15% of
which are distributed to the group's farms
while the rest is commercialized abroad.
"Thanks to more than 30 years of experi-

Kontali estimates
French production
at only

4,000

tons
of bass and sea bream
(50/50).

Provence Aquaculture : pionnier en bio

a ferme marine Provence Aquaculture est implantée depuis 1989 sur 2,2 hectares dans l'anse de
Pomègues, sur les îles du Frioul, à trois miles de Marseille. La situation de cette calanque, protégée
de la pleine mer au sud par une digue construite au XVIIe siècle, préserve la ferme des tempêtes tout
en assurant le renouvellement des eaux grâce à sa large ouverture à l'est. Première en Méditerranée
à obtenir la certification bio en 2002, Provence Aquaculture a le statut d'installation classée pour la
protection de l'environnement, du fait de son absence d'impact remarquable sur l'environnement.
Elle produit aujourd'hui 60 tonnes de bar bio. « L'hiver dernier, nous avons décidé d'arrêter l'élevage de daurade, qui représentait un tiers de nos volumes », confie Aurélien Bergeron, codirigeant
de l'entreprise avec Fanny Stabholz. En cause : la pression croissante du Microcotyle, ectoparasite qui se fixe sur les branchies des sparidés. En bio, le nombre de traitements antiparasitaires est limité. « Nous avions jusqu'à 60 % de pertes à la fin du cycle. » En contrepartie, Provence Aquaculture a augmenté ses volumes de bar, commercialisés
essentiellement en grande distribution et principalement dans la région.
Pour compléter son offre, elle propose de la daurade bio
achetée à d'autres pisciculteurs français.

Lionel Flageul

he growth of Gloria Maris
Group results from the federation of small production units
which characterize themselves
by the quality of the noble species
they breed - bass, sea bream, but also
meagre and turbot - and also by their
pioneering spirit. Like that of its founder, Philippe Riera, who relied on low
density at sea as early as 1992, thus
respecting the natural growth cycle of
fish and the preservation of the marine
environment. The group has progressively reduced treatments until they
have been completely eliminated and
has developed a 100% pesticide-free,
GMO-free diet supplied by sustainable
fishing fisheries.
Philippe Riera started with making
marine aquaculture in Corsica the French
reference and then took over the Palma
d'Oro activities in Sardinia, then Aquanord,
the Marine Hatchery at Gravelines, and
France Turbot. In 2015, Gloria Maris
became the trade name of the group but
uses the name of Acquadea in Corsica.
Today, the group produces 3,600 tons of
bass, sea bream, meagre and turbot and
35 million bass and turbot alevins, and
can be proud of eight labels and signs of
acknowledgement: label Rouge, organically certified label, origine France garantie, Aquaculture de nos régions, Collège
culinaire de France, GlobalGap and Friend
of the Sea.
To be precise, Acquadea offshore production exceeds 1,000 tons of conventional and organic bass and sea bream
and label Rouge meagre, on the sites of
Ajaccio and Campomoro. That of Palma
d'Oro reaches 300 tons of organic bass and
sea bream and label Rouge meagre. Each
year, 1,800 tons of bass from 300 grams
to 2,5 kg and sea bream from 200 grams
to 1,5 kg leave the onshore tanks of the
farm at Aquanord, in Gravelines (North
of France). "On our offshore sites as well
as in our onshore tanks, it takes two to

ence in natural genetic selection, we are
able to produce alevins known for their
very high survival rate and their excellent
growth," Philippe Riera explains.
Another asset of the group: the constant work on optimization and improvement of the food, carried out together
with the suppliers to obtain the best nutritional qualities of fish and give it a deliciously tasty flesh, while keeping the
impact on the environment very low. "It
contains only 20 to 25% of marine products from sustainable fishing for our conventional sea bream and bass, and 40%
for our label Rouge and organic product
range." Besides, investments in R&D are
continuing with a pilot project to reduce
the environmental impact of offshore
farms by means of associating various
species (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture) to recreate an ecosystem. ■

Table des matières de la publication Produits de la mer - n°181 - Avril 2018