Normandy fisheries face pressure as scallop survey data shows falling yields while fishermen and scientists target cuttlefish egg losses on pots.
Normandy’s fisheries are entering a period of heightened management pressure after new scientific survey results revealed declining scallop yields along the Seine‑Maritime coast, while fishermen and regulators simultaneously confront evidence of overexploitation in the Eastern Channel cuttlefish fishery.
Two documents released by the Normandy Regional Committee for Marine Fisheries (CRPMEM Normandie), a 2025 coastal scallop stock survey and the April 2026 cuttlefish working‑group report, point to a shared challenge: maintaining viable inshore fisheries while protecting reproduction and future recruitment across key species.
Together, the findings signal a tightening regulatory landscape for coastal fishermen operating between Dieppe, Le Tréport and the Baie de Seine.
Scallop Survey Shows Declining Biomass and Falling Yields
The most comprehensive warning comes from the CoBaCo 2025 survey of the king scallop (Pecten maximus) stock in the Seine‑Maritime coastal band. Conducted during July and August 2025, the survey assessed scallop abundance across four management zones (BC1, BC2, BC4 and BC5) within the 0–12 nautical mile zone.
Using both juvenile‑catching (50 mm) and regulatory (97 mm) dredge meshes, the campaign found that 2025 was the second‑strongest year by volume since 2021, but still represented a clear decline from the record 2024 survey.
In total, 1.1 tonnes of scallops were sampled, down from more than 1.3 tonnes the previous year, with the sharpest reductions recorded in the offshore BC4 and BC5 zones, which traditionally deliver the highest commercial yields.
More concerning for managers was the collapse in the 2‑year‑old age class, with volumes down by more than 50% year‑on‑year. Survey data indicate that around 31% of scallops aged two in 2025 will not reach commercial size by the November season opening, raising fears of poor recruitment into the fishery.
Yield indicators followed the same trend. Exploitable catch rates, measured in kilograms per hour, declined across most zones, with BC5 experiencing the steepest drop.
Closures and Reduced Fishing Time Recommended
Based on these findings, CRPMEM Normandie has issued clear, precautionary management recommendations for the upcoming fishing seasons.
The report advises placing Zone BC1 into fallow (jachère) for the 2025/2026 season, citing a low proportion of commercial‑size scallops and a high presence of juveniles. It also recommends closing part of BC4 between 3 and 6 nautical miles mid‑season, and limiting opening‑period fishing time to three hours per day across the coastal band.
Looking further ahead, the report warns that projections for 2026/2027 show a downward trend in yields, calling on the profession to preserve sufficient spawning stock to avoid longer‑term damage.
Cuttlefish Stock Under Pressure from Egg Losses on Pots
While scallop managers focus on closures and effort reduction, a parallel concern is emerging in the cuttlefish fishery.
During an April 2026 working‑group meeting in Dieppe, fishermen and scientists examined the state of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) in Seine‑Maritime waters, focusing in particular on egg mortality linked to pot fisheries.
The working group confirmed that the Eastern Channel cuttlefish stock is considered overexploited, with one of the main contributing factors being the destruction of eggs laid on pots and other fishing gear during the spring spawning season.
Cuttlefish migrate inshore to reproduce between March and May, attaching eggs to fixed structures such as algae, ropes, nets and, most commonly, pots. When pots are hauled, cleaned or pressure‑washed, eggs are frequently destroyed before hatching.
Although best practice guidance recommends leaving pots in the water until late July and avoiding aggressive cleaning, fishermen acknowledge these measures are often impractical during an active fishing season.
Experimental Measures Planned from 2027
To address the problem, the working group agreed on a set of experimental mitigation measures, with trials expected to begin from 2027.
These include installing floating ropes on longlines to provide alternative egg‑laying substrates, fitting removable internal ropes inside cuttlefish pots, and deploying dedicated egg collectors near fishing grounds to recover and protect detached eggs.
Monthly monitoring would be carried out in collaboration with fishermen, with the project likely to extend to the Baie de Seine following a similar meeting later this spring.
While the proposals remain advisory pending formal approval, the discussions reflect mounting concern that reproductive losses could undermine future cuttlefish availability, particularly in inshore pot fisheries.
A Shared Warning for Coastal Fisheries
Together, the scallop survey and cuttlefish working‑group findings underscore a broader message for Normandy’s coastal fleet: biological warning signs are appearing across multiple key species.
With scallop yields weakening and cuttlefish reproduction under pressure, managers are increasingly turning toward spatial closures, reduced effort and gear‑based solutions to stabilise stocks.
For fishermen, the coming seasons are likely to involve tighter controls, longer recovery periods and closer scrutiny of inshore practices, as regulators seek to protect recruitment before declines become irreversible.
