Fishing on foot | Saint-Malo – Mont-Saint-Michel Bay

Fish, shellfish and crustaceans

©alamoureux Découverte Guidée Du Littoral (27)

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©alamoureux Découverte Guidée Du Littoral (24)

Every Breton has in his family or in his entourage an adept of fishing on foot. Because the sea offers us something to eat, let’s learn how to collect its fruits, while respecting the mesh, in order to ensure the sustainability of this garden of Eden.Take advantage of low tide to discover the foreshore and bring back some shellfish that you can enjoy as an aperitif: cockles, clams, periwinkles, razor clams… Be vigilant and don’t go off at random. For your health, it is better to consult the website of the Regional Health Agency which informs you about the beaches where fishing on foot is not recommended and forbidden. The size and quantity of shellfish taken must also be respected in order to preserve the resource and to allow fishing on foot to last!

Visit the Responsible Fishing website

Responsible fishing site

Responsible harvesting

Live by the tides and go fishing on foot, with family or friends!

Play a part in preserving the fauna and flora that surrounds us and fish responsibly by sorting the species you harvest as you go!

respect the minimum size and quotas required according to species
re-bury undersized shellfish to protect them from predators
release egg-bearing crustacean females
collect only the amount of shellfish you want to consume
replace rocks and seaweed to preserve the species’ living environment

Before you go fishing …

watch weather and low-tide time
go up 30 to 45 minutes at the latest after low tide
consult the ARS, IFREMER or the town hall to find out about health risks
don’t forget your measuring tool (on sale at the reception of the Saint-Malo Tourist Office)
don’t go alone
be careful of the risks of encirclement when the sea rises
carry a cell phone (emergency 112 or 196)

For all information: Délégation à la Mer et au Littoral on 02 90 57 40 20.

Roll available for purchase in our front offices, €6

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The right gestures to adopt

for fishing on foot

only fish what you will consume
respect the authorized fishing areas (beaches)
respect the authorized sizes and quantities (refer to the decree in force)
preserve the marine environment (by putting back the stones turned over, filling the holes, using the authorized tools …)
it is forbidden to harvest shellfish in eelgrass beds

The authorized tools for harvesting shellfish, marine worms and echinoderms only:(no restriction on fishing tools used for harvesting crustaceans and fish in Brittany)

the hoe, consisting of a rectangular blade of 10 cm maximum length and 15 cm maximum width.
the knife, 20 cm maximum length (including handle)
the clam knife
the hook or hook, maximum length of 150 cm (all included)
the spoon
the knife gouge
the hammer and chisel: allowed only for harvesting oysters
the dip net, round or oval net mounted on a handle. Minimum mesh size of 16 mm stretched (8mm side)
the fork: composed of 4 tines with a maximum length of 20 cm. It is authorized for the harvest of marine worms (and species not subject to quota)
the sea urchin grab
the claw, with no more than 4 tines of a maximum length of 10 cm
the rake, not screened, without a pocket, with a maximum width of 35 cm and tines of a maximum length of 10 cm.

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Seaweed harvesting

And if you bring back some seaweed in your basket?

The gathering of seaweed from the shore is an ancestral practice that has been somewhat forgotten but is now coming back in fashion. The harvest is practiced on foot on the foreshore, at low tide, from a coefficient of 70. But be careful, it is a picking and not a ripping. Sea lettuce and black are among the most popular food seaweeds.

How to pick seaweed?

don’t totally harvest the seaweed: leave the spike and a piece of each seaweed to allow for seaweed regrowth
don’t pull the seaweed off: cut the seaweed with a knife rather than a sickle to better control the length of seaweed left on the rock
do not move or turn over the rocks: the species that live on or under them are different and turning the rocks over can cause one-third of them to die.
don’t scrape the rock with a tool: as this can stop the production cycle of an algae
don’t harvest stranded algae: harvesting attached algae

Harvesting shoreline algae has been regulated since 2017, you can find information ICI.

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Sea fishing

How about catching your own fish?

Go to sea or freshwater with a professional fishing guide and discover the pleasures of fishing by the sea or on a boat.Fish lovers, you will find a wide choice of products from the day’s fishing on the market benches: sole, pollack, turbot or flounder. The trawlers from Saint-Malo going to fish in the Great North, will come back with cod and haddock. Enjoy them with refined sauces such as white butter sauce or butter and cream mixed with white wine.