LOCALISATION DE LA PÊCHE, EFFECTIFS DE PÊCHEURS ET PRODUCTION DES ESPÈCES AMPHIHALINES DANS LES FLEUVES FRANÇAIS.

Abstract

No recent statement exists concerning the migratory species fisheries in the French rivers. To estimate the more precisely the number of fishermen and the productions, we gathered and analysed all the literature available and used the results of the regional and national statistical fisheries survey. In all the French coastal departments, except Nord and Pas-de-Calais, we can find eel fisheries, particularly glass eel fisheries. They are more important along the Bay of Biscay and are mainly commercial fisheries. At the contrary the Salmonids fisheries are concentrated along the Brittany and the English Channel coast, and are mainly sportive fisheries. In the Loire basin, the salmon fishing is banned and in the Garonne basin, the salmon fishing and the trout fishing are banned. According to these bans, the Adour basin is on the top with six migratory species fished, though the twaite shad fishing is limited. Five different migratory species are captured in the Garonne basin, three in the Loire basin, two in the Charente basin and in the Rhone basin, where a different specie of shad occur. In the Rhine basin, the Seine basin and the Vilaine basin, only eel is captured. We counted a total of 1 413 professional fishermen, divided in 448 river professional fishermen, and 965 marine professional fishermen, a total of 1 423 marine nonprofessional fishermen, 7 536 river non-professional fishermen, 2 974 sportive salmon fishermen and 2 030 sportive sea trout fishermen, who capture migratory species in French rivers. The total production is 1 750 tons with a turn-over of 462 millions FF; this production is composed of 410,5 tons and 410,5 millions FF for the glass eel, 302 tons and 18,1 millions FF for the eel, 581 tons and 8,7 millions de FF for the shad, 140 tons and 15,4 millions FF for the lamprey, 14,3 tons and 1,6 million FF for the salmonids species, 303,5 tons and 7,4 millions FF for flounder and mullet. The production of the nonprofessional fishermen is evaluated and included for the glass eels, for the main part of shad and for the Salmonids which are especially fished by anglers. The turn-over of the migratory species fisheries is dominated by eel, especially the glass eel stage which provide 89 %. In 1997, the glass eel is on the top of the fisheries resources of the Bay of Biscay with a value equal to 1,66 % of the value of the sole. The particular position of glass eel among the migratory species is discussed in connection with the viability of professional fisheries in the French inland waters.