Produits de la mer - n°181 - Avril 2018 - 113

Dossier ❘ BULOT

Baie de Granville:
the example to be followed

igher prices compensate for
the decline in the catch, it is
also the result of the efforts
to preserve and enhance the
value of the resource," said Didier
Leguelinel, who campaigned for responsible fishing from the very beginning. "We created the first quotas some
40 years ago. But with a single activity
such as the whelk, the need to enforce
more control on the fishery becomes
vital when the yield drops." The more
regulations professionals imposed on
their activity, the more consolidated
was the stock but the resource remains
fragile. Collaboration between the
Regional Fisheries Committee, SMEL (1)
and Ifremer provided the biological data
to design technical measures: 240 pots
maximum per man on board, not more
than 3 crew per boat (12 metres maximum), a daily quota of 300 kg per individual, which is equivalent to no more
than 900 kg per boat, fishing will be
banned in January, there will have to

be a grading device on board allowing
juveniles of less than 47 mm to return
to the sea.
At the same time, the desire to reduce
access to the resource is confirmed. The
number of whelk fishing licences is decreasing because of retirement to reach 69 in
2017. The outcome of striving for preservation of the stock led last September to the
MSC certification of the Baie de Granville
whelk fishery. The first trays of ecolabelled
cooked whelks are now in the French hypermarkets and MSC certification also constitute a marketing asset for export.
Another approach is the Protected
Geographical Indication (PGI). Its initial
objective of differentiation from the British
and Irish competition is less relevant since
Asia buys most of the Anglo-Saxon whelk
production (see page 123), whereas the
development of exchanges between French
departements requires precise identification of the Granvillan whelk. The official
label of European quality guarantees the
consumer a product with specific charac-

L.F.

Better rated than elsewhere for the first sale, the Baie de
Granville whelk meets criteria of quality which will soon be
validated by a PGI. Furthermore, it is the only whelk fishery
which is guaranteed sustainable by an MSC certification.

Granville covers 45% of the national production.

Average price
bonus
in Granville
compared with the
national average of
other fish auctions:
2015: + 14%
2016: + 16.5%
2017 : +

Source: FranceAgriMer

Traçabilité et contrôle : deux points clés
arce qu'un bulot propre ressemble à un autre bulot propre, l'enjeu du MSC, et bientôt
de l'IGP, est de renforcer la traçabilité et les contrôles sur la pêcherie. Outre les Affaires
maritimes, la gendarmerie et les douanes effectuant des contrôles en mer,, s'ajoutent
j
les autocontrôles des pêcheurs par l'intermédiaire
aire
e
d'un garde juré dépendant du comité régional
al
des pêches.
« En tant qu'organisme de défense et de ges-tion de l'IGP, Normandie Fraîcheur Mer a une
e
mission de contrôle interne, c'est un pointt
essentiel. À quai, sous criées ou chez les cui-seurs, il a fallu se faire accepter, remarque
e
en souriant Adeline Denizot, chargée de mis-sion qualité chez NFM. Parallèlement, Bureau
u
Granvilmer suit à la trace son bulot de Granville.
Veritas assure le contrôle externe. »

L.F.

teristics in West Cotentin. The work undertaken over the past ten years, in particular by means of the collective brand Baie
de Granville, awaits official recognition by
Brussels. "We are confident we will get
the PGI this year, specifications are validated in France. It remains to obtain the
seal of the European Union which carries
out the final consultations with the other
countries," indicates Arnauld Manner.
The specificity of the Baie de Granville
whelk is described in the specifications
according to several key points. Tides last
less than 16 hours, the catch area which
is marked by strong tides covers West
Cotentin up to 30 miles offshore from the
landing area between Goury to the north
and Pointe Champeau to the south. In fact,
the absence of silt taste depends closely on
the sediment in the area. Time needed for
commercialisation conditions the freshness
of the mollusc: 16 hours between landing
and first sale and 48 hours between landing and processing or shipping live whelks
by the wholesaler (2). Whatever its presentation, the whelk with a PGI displays a
clean shell. ■
(1) Experimental centre "Synergie mer littoral"
(2) Cooking or shipping live whelk can occur
the day following the first sale

PRODUITS DE LA MER N°181 AVRIL 2018

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