France F2 (Brittany and Atlantic) Socio-economic Profile


1 France : F2
1.1 Overview

The area defined as France F2 includes Brittany, Loire Region, Poitou-Charentes, Aquitaine, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. In 1997  the fleet in the France F2 area consisted of 3,031 vessels with a total of
591,567 KW. 76% of these vessels were under 12 m in length.. 79% of the vessels were 10 years or older. The majority of fleet landings are in Le Guilvinec, Concarneau and Lorient. The landings consist mainly of whelk, scallop, cuttlefish, crabs and lobsters.

Processing in France is split into "Mareyage" primary processing and ' l'industrie de la transformation' secondary processing. The value of the fish processing sector in 1997 was 919,456,795 ECU.

In 1997 the output from marine aquaculture was 155,342 tonnes and had a value of  242,415,993 ECU

Inland aquaculture of trout accounted for 27,348 tonnes output at a value of  70,001,339 ECU.

There is no data regarding inland fishing in the area.

1.2 Coastal Fishing Employment

Employment within the capture sector totals 12,939 persons employed, representing  9,448 FTEs.   The areas of Guilvinec (1,691 persons employed), Concarneau (1,413 persons employed) and Finistère and Lorient (1,155 persons employed) are the most important in terms of number of persons employed. In Guilvinec 63% of employment is generated within the 16-25 metre fleet. At Concarneau, the fleet segment above 38m, consisting mostly of tuna fishing vessels (thoniers) generates about 35% of the local employment of fishers. At Lorient the semi industrial segment provides most of the employment  with 30% of fishers employed in this segment.

1.3 Processing Employment

The primary processing sector in the F2 regions employs a total of 2,823 people. Again the Finistere ports of Guilvinec and Concarneau and the port of Lorient in Morbihan  are important areas for  the primary processing sector, 51% of the F2 primary processing employment is located in these three ports.

Employment in enterprises with less than 20 employees is estimated at 5,638.   The employment is largely based in Brittany with 3,949 (70%of F1 total) people involved in secondary processing.

1.4 Vessel Construction and Repair Employment    

The vessel construction and repair sector in the France F2 area includes non- fishing vessel employment.

The number employed in the F2 region within the  sector totals 1,021. The principal centres are Quimper (Finistère Sud) with 272 persons employed and Vendée with 258 persons employed (representing 52% of the workforce in F2 region). The other significant centres are St Malo, Saint Nazaire and Lorient  (these 3 zone d'emploi represent 35% of F2 vessel construction and repair employment).

Other upstream activities which include mechanics, marine electricians, fabrication of fishing material and boat painting  provide persons employed for 1,626 people in the F2 region.  The two predominant centres are Quimper with 622 persons employed (representing 38%) and Lorient with 435 persons employed (representing 27%).

1.5 Fish Market Employment

Employment generated by fish markets totals 996 for the F2 region. Important centres of employment in fish markets are Guilvinec (295 persons employed) and Concarneau (272 persons employed) both found in the Finistère NUTS 3 region.  Sables d'Olonne in Vendee (138 persons employed ) and Lorient (81 persons employed ) are the other significant locations.

1.6 Marine Aquaculture Employment

In total there are 10,085 (7,327 FTEs) persons in the aquaculture sector of which 5,613 persons are in full time persons employed and 4,472 are in part time persons employed.  Half of the aquaculture employment of the F2 region is concentrated in three coastal areas ; Marennes (2,642 FTEs or 36 % of the F2 persons employed),  La Rochelle ( 777 FTEs or 12% of F2 persons employed) and Noirmoutier (706 FTEs or 11% of F2 persons employed).   The Arcachon basin and the Morbihan Gulf also have significant numbers employed in aquaculture.  

Survey data collected in 1997 shows male:female participation ratios at NUTS 2 level an average of  3 to 1.

1.7 Inland Aquaculture Employment

Inland aquaculture consists of trout production.  Brittany and Aquitaine  account for 80 % of production and 67% of employment. The total number employed in inland aquaculture for the F2 region is estimated to be 785 people.