Despite setbacks in recent years – Covid, Brexit, Bay of Biscay closures – the Keroman fish market has demonstrated a remarkable resilience as local landings continue to decline but deliveries by visiting vessels has increased.
The auction’s 2025 throughput was 16,190 tonnes, down 2.6% on the previous year’s figure, while the €69.53 million overall value is up 2.3%, with a significantly increased average price per kg at €4.29, 4.9% up over the 2024 figure. Key species passing through the Lorient auction last year were 2039 tonnes blue ling, 1802 tonnes of European ling, 1364 tonnes of hake, 1075 tonnes of saithe and 940 tonnes of monkfish.
‘With climate change, we will have to get used to significant changes in stocks. It is essential to renew our methods to exploit these sustainably,’ said Olivier Le Nézet, president of Sem Lorient Keroman, which manages the port and which is also due to celebrate its hundred-year anniversary in July 2027.
Fresh offshore landings have dropped 11.7% to 3945 tonnes, with a value down 5.7% to €13.47 million, although this has been offset by increased supplies from abroad, which are up 8% to 4130 tonnes, with the value up 17.6% to €14.56 million.
2025 was a complex one for the langoustine fleet, with 330 tonnes landed at an average price per kilo of €16.45, and the coastal fishery overall is struggling – down 7.8% to 4610 tonnes for a value of €29.18 million with an average price up 6.4% to €6.33. A boost has come in the form of octopus, which has made an appearance off the south coast of Brittany, and 213 tonnes were landed, compared to less than 30 tonnes in previous years.
Keroman remains an attractive port for foreign vessels, which continue to land increasing volumes, with 250 fishing vessels calling last year to offload catches sought after by some 220 buyers. These landings increase 5.2% to 3505 tonnes with a value of €12.31 million.
