The expansion of marine development projects poses significant challenges in managing competing land uses. For years, land use planning has been a key component of territorial development strategies in Europe and North America. Now, as the complexity of managing maritime spaces increases, a similar approach is needed to integrate all stakeholders and address potential conflicts arising from spatial competition. Fishing businesses face these emerging challenges, highlighting the importance of inclusive and sustainable spatial planning.A variety of tools can help incorporate stakeholders in these areas, one of which is the vulnerability index. This index combines social and economic factors to evaluate fishers’ vulnerability to spatial modifications resulting from these new maritime uses. The vulnerability is measured through three dimensions: the degree of exposure to risk, the sensitivity of stakeholders to that risk, and their adaptive capacity, which mitigates the first two dimensions.This study aims to refine and enhance the application of the vulnerability assessment method by examining the capital-based adaptive capacity of fishing enterprises in the context of spatial competition. Through a case study of the fishing industry in Normandy, France, we reveal complex interconnections among physical, natural, human, social, and economic capitals, highlighting the nuanced ways these factors contribute to resilience. This capital-based approach not only enriches the vulnerability index but also offers a more robust framework for inclusive marine spatial planning, to better address the specific needs of fishing communities amidst expanding marine development projects.

Labels are currently numerous and diverse in the fishery and aquaculture products (FAPs) market, providing consumers with information about the different attributes of FAPs. This extensive development implies that consumers have to face trade-off situations. This paper aims (1) to identify which labels are most valued by consumers when they face a trade-off situation, (2) to study the consumption profiles behind these preferences and (3) to suggest ways of improving the efficiency of labelling policies. Based on a survey conducted in 2021 (n = 1 427), this article describes FAPs consumers’ preferences for labelled FAPs. To do so, each consumer was asked to rank their favourite scheme from a pool of nine hypothetical labels related to specific FAPs characteristics. Then, we used a mixed multinomial logit model (MMLM) with marginal effects to analyse consumption profiles. Our results show heterogeneity among consumers regarding labelled FAPs. Overall, labels that ensure intrinsic qualities remain preferred to labels linked to ethical considerations. Moreover, while preferences for domestic productions are prominent, there is a very wide gap with real purchasing behaviour. Furthermore, this study shows that personal motivation, age, gender, knowledge or place of residence influence the preferences expressed. Labels are a policy tool used to reform the FAPs value chain. Nevertheless, they are struggling to achieve their objectives. Our results can be useful for better targeting the messages to be implemented, improving the efficiency of labelling policies and helping consumers to make informed and sustainable choices.

The consumption of Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (FAP) can contribute to the transition of our food system towards greater sustainability. However, in order to implement effective food policies aimed at promoting sustainable FAP consumption, data on individual consumption behavior are lacking. Based on a consumer survey carried out on the French market in 2023, the aim of this article was to gain a deeper understanding of the current consumption patterns in place in France in order to identify potential levers for aligning French FAP consumption with public health and resource conservation objectives. Using an ordered probit model and Welch’s t-tests, our results show that French FAP consumption is currently driven by few people (the elderly, connoisseurs, and high-income households). In line with our findings, actions are proposed to guide French FAP consumers towards more sustainable behavior. In particular, we discuss the need to inform and educate consumers better. The promotion of local “under-utilized” species, the integration of environmental considerations into existing food policies, or even the need to exploit “out-of-home” consumption venues to promote sustainable FAP consumption among occasional consumers are discussed as interesting possibilities.

As an industry based upon the harvesting of wild resources, the fishery is often used in economics to showcase the effects of its specific nature on human behavior and the impacts of that behavior on the fish stock itself. The common-pool status usually encountered in the use of these resources makes them especially vulnerable to major shifts in the supporting ecosystems, but also to rapid technical change. In most other parts of the economy, technical change and the creative destruction that it brings along are viewed positively, and even given central role in recent theories of growth. Happily for the creatures of the ocean that are hunted, fishers do not fit the mould of Schumpetarian entrepreneurs bent on creative destruction. However, the technology that does drift onto boats has had concerning effects on the status of fish stocks with important economic and cultural consequences. We present a narrative of the French sardine fishery using the evolutionary theory of technical change. The wild binary segmentation approach was applied on a time-series of French sardine landings from 1900 to 2017. This analysis revealed three significant production change points associated with important technical changes in the fishery. The first change point, in 1927, is related to the introduction of the purse-seine in France. The introduction of the mid-water trawl is the second change point in the early 1970s. A third change point occurred in 1998, where we see a reswitch from mid-water trawl to purse-seine. Collectively, these results highlight the technological changes in sardine production that occurred, but more importantly, the impacts of these changes both on the structure of the population of sardines, and on the industry. The lesson we derive from this case study is that technical change should be considered as a succession of shifts rather than a unidirectional history.

In terms of food consumption, sustainability dimensions are often conflicting with purchasing power and practical purchases. France lands, farms, imports, and consumes large quantities of fisheries and aquaculture products (FAPs). The pandemic affected both domestic and foreign FAP supply through restrictions on trade and fishing conditions. Numerous sale points offering FAPs were closed during the pandemic. This general context has likely questioned the role of consumers on environmental, economic, and social matters. The aim of the paper is to assess whether the Covid-19 crisis has been an opportunity for French consumers to align their consumption at-home with the environmental issues by favouring domestic producers, short channels, or eco-friendly products. Quantitative data on at-home ordinary household purchases in metropolitan France from 2017 to 2021 was used along with t-test methods. It seems that fresh FAPs consumption did not truly adapt to the domestic fish production in defiance of import restrictions and available surpluses. While fresh shellfish at-home consumption did not change significantly in 2020, salmon and cod are still widely favoured by French consumers at-home, although their French production is virtually non-existent. On the contrary, domestically produced fish species remains poorly consumed at-home. The abundant supply of fresh salmon initially intended for other markets has permitted to consolidate the dominant position of this species on the French at-home consumption market. Initiated by supermarkets and hypermarkets and followed up by consumers, the trend of purchasing pre-packaged fresh fish has been substantially amplified by the pandemic and seems to persist over time.

La crise liée à la pandémie de Covid-19 a affecté l'industrie de la pêche française par des perturbations du marché, tant du côté de l'offre que de la demande. Cet article se concentre sur la mesure des impacts de ces perturbations sur les halles à marée, en considérant les dimensions régionales et locales. Les halles à marée font partie de systèmes régionaux le long de chaque façade littorale de France métropolitaine. À l'échelle locale, elles se différencient par la spécialisation des produits proposés à la première vente. La mesure des impacts de la crise sanitaire sur ces marchés renvoie aux comportements d'adaptation des pêcheurs à l'échelle régionale et locale. C'est par la complémentarité des circuits de commercialisation que les pêcheurs peuvent trouver des solutions aux chocs futurs.

The question raised concerns the capacity of the fish markets to adapt to the fluctuations in supply and fish prices caused by the first confinement and amplified by the second in 2020. The national turnover of the first markets declined by 18 % compared to the average of the previous three years. The method of breaking down turnover shows that the value of production reflects a strategy on quantity and more rarely a price policy. Surveys of fish market managers provide a complementary even different understanding to that of the sales statistics. The discussion of the results raises two major questions. The first deals with the informational bias when the analysis is limited to a quantitative approach to production statistics. The second is the question of the potential threat of direct sales to fish markets.

Professional fishing activities are subject to spatial pressures. The cohabitation between a traditional fishing activity and development of the offshore wind energy industry raises questions about space sharing and rules of use. This paper proposes to adapt the vulnerability methodology developed to deal with global threats of climate change to this example of local, non-climatic change using the case study of a floating wind turbine project between Groix and Belle-Île (France). To understand and compare the potential impact of the different artisanal fishing activities, the method aims to conceptualize vulnerability with the identification of social, economic, and environmental key pressures and address them in a composite index. Although the smallest fishing units appear to be the most vulnerable, this effect is associated with a high sensitivity to the area near the coast. This research also highlights the importance of transparency and clarity during the construction of the composite index to avoid misinterpretation. This case study supports the relevance of applying the vulnerability method on a local scale to facilitate dialogue between stakeholders and reduce negotiation costs.

The question raised concerns the capacity of the fish markets to adapt to the fluctuations in supply and fish prices caused by the first confinement and amplified by the second in 2020. The national turnover of the first markets declined by 18 % compared to the average of the previous three years. The method of breaking down turnover shows that the value of production reflects a strategy on quantity and more rarely a price policy. Surveys of fish market managers provide a complementary even different understanding to that of the sales statistics. The discussion of the results raises two major questions. The first deals with the informational bias when the analysis is limited to a quantitative approach to production statistics. The second is the question of the potential threat of direct sales to fish markets.

We put under scrutiny the 'artisanal vs. industrial' dichotomy used by French fisheries management for classifying fishing operations. Recent evolutions in the Atlantic fishing sector urge us to question its applicability. In particular the definition of the so-called 'artisanal fishing model' is under pressure (e.g., decline of family-based fishing, multi-vessel companies increasingly common, emergence of new forms of firm governance). Using mixed-method research (interviews, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and hierarchical clustering), we propose a new typology for classifying multi-vessel fishing firms, based on six organizational attributes (ownership structure, firm structure, management strategy, firm size, fishing strategy and valorization strategy). We have carried out a three-step analysis. First, the MCA suggests that the diversity of organizational forms can be described to a great extent in terms of the profile of the owner and the firm's management and valorization strategies. The cluster analysis then separates organizational configurations in five types, based on clusterspecific modalities: access to key information, legal form, vessel maintenance and standardization, growth objectives and management structure. The final description of the types draws from additional interview data as well as variables that were not used in the analysis. The typology captures the diversity of governance configurations currently existing in the sector, while providing some insight into their origins and future trajectories. We conclude that the artisanal model is outdated and insufficient for describing the organizational diversity of modern-day fishing firms, especially those in the 12-18 m and 18-24 m segments.

A partir de séries longues, sur plus d'un siècle de production de sardine sur les côtes françaises, l'article pose la question du comportement d'adaptation des communautés de pêcheurs face aux variabilités dans l'abondance de la ressource. Une méthode de segmentation de la série chronologique permet d'identifier des points de rupture en recherchant des phases stationnaires. Le résultat aboutit à trois périodes, la première débutant en 1900 avec un point de rupture en 1971. Les deux segments suivants courent sur les périodes 1972 à 1998 et de 1999 à 2017. Le mouvement de concentration de l'industrie de la sardine s'accélère précisément sur le premier point de rupture. Le cadre conceptuel retenu, en complément de la méthode de segmentation, est celui des socio-systèmes et de la résilience des acteurs face à de fortes perturbations. Si les ports de pêche sardiniers ont pu maintenir leur spécialisation par une capacité d'adaptation à des changements mineurs, avant le premier point de rupture, elle devient insuffisante face à des perturbations majeures. La littérature sur les socio-systèmes considère que la capacité d'adaptabilité est alors requise pour maintenir une activité économique. C'est un fait illustré dans cet article.Classification JEL : Q22, N54, C22, L23.

L’article retient comme problématique la portée et les limites de la régionalisation des pêches, en s’appuyant sur les expériences en Europe, aux États-Unis et au Canada. Après un rappel de la dimension historique de la politique commune de la pêche en Europe, l’article offre une synthèse des principaux concepts tirés de l’économie néo-institutionnaliste et des travaux sur les systèmes socio-écologiques. Une approche comparée en Europe, au Canada et aux États-Unis offre une diversité du caractère opérationnel des régimes de gestion des pêcheries. L’examen comparatif des trois grands systèmes de gestion des pêches est fondé sur des institutions guidées par la recherche d’un compromis entre critères écologiques et socio-économiques. La situation européenne se situe entre le mode décentralisé aux États-Unis et le régime canadien, le plus enraciné historiquement dans une conduite centralisée. En effet, la gestion des pêcheries, en Europe et en Amérique du Nord, est désormais intégrée à une approche écosystémique.

La question abordée dans cet article porte sur le caractère territorial des attractions touristiques autour d’un port de pêche à forte identité. Face à l’épuisement des ressources, les territoires dépendants de l’exploitation des ressources marines vivantes tentent au cours des années 1990 des diversifications d’activité, notamment vers le tourisme. L’article retient le cas d’étude du port de pêche du Guilvinec sur lequel est implanté depuis 2000 un centre de découverte destiné à attirer une clientèle touristique. La méthodologie d’enquête est mobilisée pour délimiter le territoire sur lequel s’exerce une attractivité des activités de pêche et du centre de découverte. Une estimation des dépenses engagées par les visiteurs sur ce même territoire est proposée. Le modèle du panier de biens est adapté dans l’étude du comportement de la clientèle touristique. En effet, le centre de découverte offre une combinaison de biens au choix des visiteurs, avec un fort ancrage territorial. Classification JEL : 018, Q22, R11, L83

The question addressed in this article focuses on the conditions for strengthening the territorial character of tourist attractions around a fishing port with a strong identity. In the face of the depletion of resources, the territories dependent on the exploitation of living marine resources try reconversion during the 1990s, especially towards tourism. The article is based on the fishing port of Guilvinec on which has been created an exhibition center for a large audience. The survey methodology is mobilized to delimit the territory on which the fishing activities and the exhibition center are attractive. An estimate of the expenses incurred by visitors is proposed. The tourist's consumption of the exhibition center and fisheries is in line with the basket of goods model.

This article seeks to estimate the relevance of the service economy applied to marine renewable energy projects. This study is based on stakeholder contributions in public debate in Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm project (France). We seek to analyze stakeholder perspectives through an application of a textual analysis on contributions (cahiers d’acteurs). Textual analysis reveals two main results, the first one turns to social and economic question with the impact on the territory, in particularly the employment and the training. The second issue concerns the energy efficiency of marine renewable technologies. For each of these issues, the discussion try to give a perspective regard to service economy theory and discuss about the relevance of service economy application in marine renewable energy sector.