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Summary of our market study
The French seafood market is estimated at over €6 billion.
The global seafood market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 2.9% between 2020 and 2030, reaching a market value of $207.2 billion. However, overexploitation of marine species poses challenges, with the percentage of global fish stocks caught at unsustainable levels rising from 10% to 34%, and imposes environmental constraints on market growth.
France, in particular, has seen a slight decline in fish consumption, from an average of 36 kg per capita to 32.6 kg in 2020. Despite a well-developed distribution infrastructure, the majority of fresh seafood sales are made in supermarkets and hypermarkets.
The French market remains highly dependent on imports, resulting in a trade deficit of 4.8 billion euros in 2021.
The main imported species are salmon, shrimp, cod and tuna, mainly from the UK and Norway.
Exports are mainly destined for Italy, Spain and Belgium.
At the end of the year, demand for seafood products generally rises sharply.
Demand on the French seafood market
Seafood is an essential part of French cuisine. The seafood sector is forecasting a modest rise in market volume, from around 3.14 million tonnes in recent years to 3.18 million tonnes in 2023, an increase of around 0.2% per annum over a seven-year period.
The value of the seafood market has risen more sharply, from 5 billion euros to over 6 billion euros, corresponding to an annual growth rate of close to 2%.
Almost all French people eat seafood, but only 36% of them consume the recommended amount. Fresh seafood remains the choice of older people, while younger consumers prefer frozen and canned products.
The main imports are popular species such as salmon, shrimp, cod and tuna, which are not commonly found in French waters. Demand peaks during the festive season
Market segments such as organic and boneless fish are enjoying renewed interest, while the overall market scenario in France reflects a mature and rather stable state. French consumers' loyalty to seafood products remains strong.
Some players in the French seafood market
- Grand Frais
- Alphaprim
- Mericq Groupe
- PassionFroid and Terrazur(Pomona Group)
- Delpierre (labeyrie Groupe)
- Davigel (part of Sysco France)
- SCAPP (Corail fishmonger)
- Cinq Degrés Ouest 5DO
- Delmas Poisson
- Marine SA
- Vivafysh
- Sathoan
- Sapmer
- Escal Sea Food
- Nautilus Foof
- R&O Sea Food - Reynaud
- Compagnie des pêches de Saint-Malo
- Océalliance
- Seafoodia
to understand this market
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Presentation and definition of the fish and seafood market
The seafood market covers the fishing, farming and distribution of seafood products. This market is dominated by a handful of leading wholesalers, who supply the distribution sector, from retail chains to restaurants and fishmongers.
The global seafood market is expected to grow at a rapid pace of 2.9% per year until 2030, driven in particular by demand from emerging countries. In France, however, the trend is not the same, since the market is relatively stable, due to a slight drop in consumption, offset by an increase in market value.
The trend in the French aquatic products market is to promote French fishing and farming (whereas the vast majority of fish consumed is imported). In addition, there is a desire tointegrate consumers' growing environmental awareness by offering greater transparency on product origin.
The main players on the French market are wholesalers such as PassionFroid and Grand Frais, producers such as Delpierre and Delmas Poisson, and importers such as Davigel and Marine SAS.
1.2 A steadily-growing global market, despite the brakes on expansion
According to Allied Market Research, the seafood market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around *.*% over the period ****-****, reaching $***.* billion.
Globally, the market is benefiting from a number of factors driving demand growth. Among the factors driving demand growth are
The constant increase in the world's population[***]; Increasing ...
1.3 Focus on the European Union
Source: ****
The table above shows which fish are most widely consumed in the EU; we can see that tuna accounts for the largest share (***) of consumption, and that European citizens consume an average of *.** kg of tuna per year.
Furthermore, the highest sufficiency rate (***), the EU relies on imports from other ...
1.4 Slight growth in the French market
The fish market is growing slightly in France, with an increase forecast every year between **** and ****. In ****, around *.** million tonnes of fish were consumed, and the figure is expected to rise to *.** million tonnes in ****. This represents growth of *.*% per year between **** and ****.
Seafood market volume France, ****-****, in millions of ...
1.5 France, a net importer of seafood products
While fish consumption is down slightly, with an average of **.* kg per person per year in ****, compared with ** kg in ****, the market remains heavily dependent on foreign flows. Seafood consumption in France is directly linked to the level of imports.
foreign trade in aquatic products France, ****-****, in billions of euros ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Slight decline in fish consumption
In France, average per capita consumption has fallen slightly in recent years, from ** kilos in **** to **.* kilos in ****. given the growing importance attached to healthy, sustainable food by the French, one might expect consumers to gradually turn to seafood as their preferred choice of protein. However, statistics show that consumers behave ...
2.2 Consumer profile
Penetration rate of different seafood purchase categories France, ****-****, in Source: ****
The trend that emerges from the graph above is a more or less significant decline in all seafood purchasing categories. The hardest-hit category is frozen seafood, with a drop of seven points. In the other segments, the drop is less ...
2.3 An explosion in demand for seafood at the end of the year
Google Trends QSR : Search for the word "Fruits de mer" (***) France, Jan **** - Jan ****, index base *** Source: ****
The graph above represents the proportion of searches for a given term in a given region over a given period of time, relative to the time when it was most searched for (***). Thus, a ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Market value chain
In general, the time between landing the catch and delivery of the product to the fishmonger does not exceed ** h. This is enough time to sell the fish at the fish market, pack it, prepare it (***), transport it and market it.
at every stage, fishermen, fish markets, wholesalers, transporters, distributors and ...
3.2 Geographical distribution of the fishing industry in France
According to France Agrimer's latest report on general figures for the fishing industry in France, the fishing sector employed ***** people operating on **** vessels in ****.
All these fishing vessels are unevenly distributed across the country, obviously on the coasts and more particularly on the Atlantic coast.
Distribution of companies and sales by ...
3.3 Seafood distribution
The different distribution networks
Breakdown of fresh seafood sales by distribution channel France, ****-****, in Source: ****
The vast majority of fresh seafood is sold through supermarkets and hypermarkets. This segment is the only one to grow, while markets and fishmongers are losing ground. The rise of supermarkets can be explained by ...
3.4 A market dynamic in favour of responsible fishing
Fishing responsibly
Responsible fishing is a constant preoccupation for the industry. They rely on technical progress to keep by-catches and discards to a minimum, guarantee compliance with minimum catch sizes, preserve the seabed and control fuel consumption. For example, fishing gear is fitted with acoustic repellents to ward off cetaceans the ...
3.5 Focus on the foodservice industry
Market share breakdown of seafood distribution channels France, ****, in Source: ****
Foodservice is the most important distribution channel in France, generating **% of fish and seafood sales in ****. Seafood products bought, prepared and consumed at home are only third in the ranking, with *% of the market in ****.
This justifies the sums restaurants spend ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Products and their average price
The prices of the following products are the wholesale prices (***) on **/**/**** at Rungis Market, the reference hall for French agri-food sales.
Source: ****
Source: ****
Source: ****
Generally speaking, there are no rules when it comes to fish prices. As fishing is by nature unpredictable, there are wide variations in prices for the same ...
4.2 Rising seafood prices
Consumer price index for fish and seafood France, ****-****, index base *** in **** Source: ****
Consumer prices for fish and seafood have risen by around **% since ****. This rise even reached **% in April ****, compared with ****, but prices have fallen again since then. This data confirms which according to the slight growth observed on the ...
4.3 The impact of Brexit on the French fishing industry
The UK is Europe's third-largest producer of aquatic products and benefits from a large maritime area. Yet fishing was one of the key Brexit issues during the referendum. Fishermen were broadly in favor of Brexit, even in Northern Ireland, where the population nonetheless voted **% against.
British waters alone account for around ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Predominantly European fishing legislation
European fisheries policy
Since ****, the Common Fisheries Policy (***) has regulated and organized the entire fishing industry. Several reforms have been implemented, most recently in January ****.
According to the European Commission, the CFP covers four areas:
Fisheries management ; International policy ; Markets and trade policy; Policy financing.
Production quotas
European law has established ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
6.2 Interview with Mer Conseils
Founded as a cooperative by Isabelle Letellier and Hervé Le Creour, Mer Conseils, based in Lorient, supports professionals in the sector in their efforts to achieve certification and enhance quality on board, both in auctions and in tide companies.
Backed by their experience and in-depth knowledge of Brittany's harbors, the salaried ...
- Alphaprim
- Pomona Groupe (Passion Froid)
- Les pêcheries de la Côtinière
- Delpierre (Labeyrie Groupe)
- Alliance O
- SCAPP (Poissonnier Corail)
- Delmas poissons et marée
- Marine SA
- Vivafysh (Vivalya)
- Sysco Groupe - Davigel
- Leroy Sea Food
- Pure Salmon
- Grand Frais (Prosol)
- Terrazur (Pomona groupe)
- Sathoan
- Cinq Degrés Ouest 5DO
- King Lobsters
- PSMA LA SABLAISE
- Escal Sea Food
- Française de Gastronomie
- Grieg Sea Food group
- France Haliotis
- Sapmer
- Audelor
- Conserverie la Belle-Iloise
- Saupiquet (Bolton alimentari Group)
- La Compagnie Bretonne du Poisson
- MerAlliance groupe
- Le Graët Groupe
- Luximer
- Océan Delice
- Compagnie des Pêches Saint Malo
- Bolton Group: Rio Mare, Palmera, Simmenthal
- France Pélagique
- Nautilus Food
- R&O SeaFood Gatronomy- Reynaud
- Cermaq (Mitsubishi Corp)
- Mowi Group
- Marine Harvest Kristen (Mowi group)
- Aquafrais (Fish group)
- SN Trading
- Morisseau Maison
- Olala cosmetics - EQAM
- Saumon de France
- Groix et Nature
- Food4Good
- Compagnie des pêches de Saint-Malo
- Cultimer
- Chancerelle Conserverie
- Océalliance
- Seafoodia
- Mericq Groupe
- Alliance Océane et Charcutière - Coraya
List of charts presented in this market study
- Sales on the market for fish and fishery products
- Global trends in the status of marine fish stocks
- Use categories of fish and fishery products and per capita consumption
- Per capita consumption of fish in EU countries
- La fréquence de consommation de produits aquatiques
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Latest news
Saupiquet's Italian owner wants to convert the French to tuna in oil - 28/03/2024
- Bolton, leader in canned fish in Europe and Italy, launches its "Rio Mare" brand in France.
- The Italian group, which has owned Saupiquet for the past twenty-five years, has also launched its "Rio Mare" brand in France.
- Sales of canned fish, 56% of which is tuna, reached 1.1 billion euros in 2023 according to Nielsen.
- The Saupiquet brand generates sales of 120 million euros.
- Private labels account for 40% of the market for tuna in oil, with Petit Navire, controlled by Asian giant Thai Union, a distant second.
- Bolton is 100% owned by the Nissim family
- The group, present in 150 countries, achieved sales of 3.2 billion in 2022.
- World number two in canned fish, with sales of 1.2 billion euros.
- The company also markets household products (Carolin, Génie detergent, UHU adhesives, Net toilet cleaners, Roger Cavaillès hygiene products and Sanogylutres toothpaste....)
Belle-Iloise, a maritime and land-based SME - 16/03/2024
- Company founded*: 1932
- Refusal to sell in hypermarkets from the 1960s onwards, preferring direct sales and grocery stores.
- Development of vegetable products less dependent on the seasonality of fishing
- Acquisition of a small local competitor, La Quiberonnaise, in 2023
La Belle-Iloise takes over La Quiberonnaise - 10/10/2023
- La Belle-Iloise has sales of 60 million euros and over 500 employees in high season.
- La Quiberonnaise has sales of around 1.8 million euros and a small, unspecified number of employees.
- La Belle-Iloise achieves 95% of its business volume through direct sales, via its network of 90 stores or via the Internet.
- La Quiberonnaise, on the other hand, is distributed very locally, including in supermarkets such as Système U and Les Mousquetaires.
- La Quiberonnaise processes around 80 tonnes of sardines each year, which is ten times less than La Belle-Iloise.
- Both companies are positioned in a premium segment.
Nautilus revamps its fish ranges to attract younger customers - 08/10/2023
- Nautilus" brand present in 96% of supermarket outlets
- Nautilus" brand penetration rate is 8%
- 80% of Nautilus consumers are over 60
- Nautilus Food employs 80 people Nautilus Food has achieved sales of 47 million euros by 2022 (12 million euros in supermarket sales 11 million euros in sales with Saumextra)
- Marketing investments quadrupled for the Nautilus brand.
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the fish and seafood market | France
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