produits de la mer - n°192 - Mai 2019 - 88

Special feature ❘ TROUT

Nouvelle-Aquitaine
asserts its leadership
With the administrative
redivision of the regions
and Aqualande's external
growth beyond the
Pyrenees, the NouvelleAquitaine region confirms
its position as a major
centre for trout production
in France.

L.F.

y bringing together three
regions, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine
region has enabled the regional
fish farming sector to consolidate
its leading position as a trout breeder in
France. According to data published in
a newsletter from the Regional Council,
82 salmon farming companies with
nearly 150 production sites are spread
throughout the twelve departments
of the region. According to professional sources, Nouvelle-Aquitaine produces about 13,000 tons per year, or
about one-third of the national quantities produced. Production may vary from
one year to another depending on weather conditions, but it remains generally stable over time. Without authorisations for new fish farms, the growth
prospects are poor.
The 24 independent member companies
of the Southwest fish farmers' union participate for less than 20% in the regional production. They range from small units with

The Aqualande group has 27 fish farms in Nouvelle-Aquitaine out of a total of 41.

a yearly volume of 5 tons to farms producing more than 600 tons. "These fish farms
are more oriented towards the trout portion," explains Alain Marié, the union's facilitator. "Some of our members will also favour
pre-growing to feed other fish farms. The
production of large trout must correspond
to about 30% of the global volume."
Located in Haute-Vienne, in the
Charentes, the Landes or the Pyrenees,

NouvelleAquitaine:

13,000

companies

Aqualande change ses méthodes d'abattage

ous étions conscients qu'il fallait améliorer les conditions d'abattage des truites. Mais les moyens mis
en œuvre pour de meilleures méthodes n'étaient pas efficients. Aujourd'hui, par rapport à ce qui
se pratique, nous considérons que la meilleure solution est le stunning ou étourdissement. Nous allons
mettre la méthode en place », indique Stéphane Dargelas, directeur commercial d'Aqualande. Épinglé
en novembre 2018 par l'association L214 qui pointait du doigt les conditions d'abattage des truites dans
le groupe, Aqualande va abandonner le plongeon du poisson dans un bain de dioxyde de carbone pour
une machine qui l'assommera. Ce nouveau dispositif doit être mis en place en juin sur le site de transformation du groupe en Espagne, puis à la fin de l'année dans l'usine de Sarbazan.

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PRODUITS DE LA MER N°192 MAI 2019

"about ten of our members have a processing workshop which can sometimes be
a simple kitchen meeting required standards," says Alain Marié. Cutting trout into
slabs, fillets, steaks, packaging in fresh, vacuum or frozen, some produce smoked trout
and others pasteurized trout eggs, the offer
is very diversified. It helps to enhance the
value of the product. "The trout market on
the whole is doing well," Alain Marié says.
For the union facilitator, "the main difficulty
is more often the lack of water." Particular
attention must also be paid, in his opinion,
to the renewal of the profession. "There are
fish farms for sale."
Aqualande has bought some of them
back. But the main acquisition for the Landes
cooperative group is the company Piszolla,
one of the largest fish farmers in Spain, in
March 2018. Five fish farms, located near
Madrid and in the Salamanca region, have
been added to the 36 farms, 27 of which
are in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, already belong-

produits de la mer - n°192 - Mai 2019

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