The fleet

The fishing port of Sète is the home port of a diverse fleet of fishing boats:

• 18 tuna boats
• 14 trawlers
• 28 smaller fishing vessels

14 trawlers and more than 200 small businesses are registered with the fish market and operate in and around Sète (Palavas-les-Flots , Agde, Grau- du-Roi, Marseillan, Mèze, etc.). To sell their products at our auctions we require a certificate of registry, bank details and registration form from fishermen to record their catch by the services of the fishing port. Then the team is at their disposal to present their fish at market.

Daily auctions sell the product of local fishing trawlers and thirty small fishing businesses (up to 40 in high season).

The Sete fishermen are represented by:

• The ‘Prud'homie’ (or Fishermans Tribunal): Mediterranean specific. Heads of the tribunal are elected for terms of 3 years (2 elected per Occupation: tuna trawler, small trades etc.). They consider disputes that arise between fishermen in the exercise of their profession, without it being necessary to pursue legal action. The Prud'homie governs the rules of conduct between fishermen and makes the rules of good practice of the profession including fishing times and boat usage...

•  The ‘Maritime cooperatives’ which offers help with refueling, food and equipment. These collaborations enable professionals to respond to their collective needs and promote optimal functioning of their professions through centralised purchasing. DIRECTORY

• The ‘Producer Organisation’ (or Sa.Tho.an.) A role of spokesman/political representation with institutional partners, fisheries quota management for bluefin tuna, help in adding value to fisheries products, aid in the search for innovative fishing techniques (selective net choice, lower fuel consumption etc.). It also work since several years in close cooperation with scientific bodies (sample design, tagging programs etc.). www.sete-peche.fr

The fleet of Sete is composed of several kinds of ships, providing different and complementary fishing modes :

• Iron and polyester hulled trawlers which can fish for 5-6 hours.

• Wooden hulled trawlers fish nearer land (around three nautical miles 3-4 hours).

• Small boats are fishing in coastal waters.

• Small boats fish inland waters such as the Etangs de Thau or the Etang de l’Or.

Thus the product range offered at auction is diversified including: eels, green crabs , anchovies through to monkfish , sardines, rockfish , sea bream and sea bass.​