Every winter, hundreds of boats leave the ports of the Bay of Saint-Brieuc - Paimpol - Les Caps destination to fish for the most popular shellfish in the region: the Coquille Saint-Jacques scallop. From October to March, nearly 6, tonnes of scallops are fished from Loguivy-de-la-Mer, Saint-Quay-Portrieux and Erquy, ports, located on the most productive deposit in France, spread over , hectares. This precious resource is strictly governed by legislation that ensures its protection and proper reproduction.
As such, the fishermen β holders of a specific licence β can make use of 45 minutes of fishing per day, at a rate of two days per week. Though the scallops are mainly collected by dredging a name given to the metallic device, in the form of a pocket and composed of rings, dragged along the seabed to collect buried shells , a small section of the profession has become specialised in diving fishing, a more artisanal practice.
To experience this technique, I put on my best boots and headed out to Saint-Quay-Portrieux, home of Ki Dour Mor, where the team that has been working there for three years awaited me.
This former sailor working aboard trawlers has reconciled his passion for diving with his work by creating the underwater fishing activity β all in accordance with his values, by committing to truly sustainable and ecological fishing. After an outing cancelled due to strong winds, it was in the company of Kenan and Wally β the two divers β and Gildas, the pilot, that I set out that morning for one of the two weekly shellfishing sessions.
After a few dozen minutes of slightly hectic navigation, the boat stabilised and the divers geared up in the rain. The launch is scheduled for sharp, during the slack when the current between two tides is almost non-existent. With Gildas, we patiently wait a few minutes before the professional's keen eyes see the first orange parachute appear on the surface.
