If fishing is an art, it is also a science. It is important to have some knowledge of your aquatic prey. Which fish should be caught in Marseille and when?
Where to fish in Marseille?
The Marseille bay offers a wide range of small spots to fish: ports (vallon des auffes, port of Les Goudes...) beaches for surfcasting (technique of "throwing in the wave"), etc..
The calanques provide you with a pleasant atmosphere but being classified as a natural park, the legislation is strict (see next paragraph). You can also fish in Friuli by taking the shuttle from the Old Port.
Where not to fish in Marseille?
A part of the calanques:
Regulations: fishing is allowed on 90% of the creeks. The remaining 10% is part of the No Sampling Zone. Of the 43,500 ha of marine park, it is prohibited to fish on 4634 ha. For coastal areas, 10 panels are installed (Riou, Devenson, Cacau, Soubeyranes, Sormiou). Buoys have been placed in the sea (Cap Soubeyran, Cacau, Sormiou). The limitations of some areas could not be indicated for technical or regulatory reasons. It is also prohibited to organize "recreational fishing competitions". If "feeding marine wildlife from a vessel" is prohibited, it is allowed to do so for fishing baiting.
Pollution: For the past fifty years, the Altéo factory has been authorized to dump its toxic residues (arsenic, uranium 238, mercury, lead and more) in the heart of the calanques. Its residues are obviously found in the food chain of marine wildlife.
At the Old Port:
In 2015, the Sea Shepherd's Operation Mare Nostrum announced that "there must be at least two metres of waste in a layer as far as the eye can see". In short, do not fish in the Old Port....
Which fishes can be caught in the Mediterranean?
There is a real population of fish species in the Mediterranean Sea!
Girelles are fished all over the Mediterranean. They are found in particular in the famous bouillabaisse! It can be fished between spring and summer with a rod or a girelier, especially on rocky bottoms or meadows between 0 and 60 metres deep. They are fished all year round but in winter and spring it is necessary to fish at a minimum depth of 7/8 m to make a better fishing. There are many species belonging to the girelles group, such as the female peacock giralle, one of the most colourful fish in the Mediterranean.
The sea bream can be identified by its silvery colour and the golden band that runs along its forehead. Sparidae regularly reaches 50cm and 2kg. It can grow to 70 cm and weigh 6 kg. A beautiful beast... Despite its size, it is not easy to find it. The best time to fish for it is in the summer.
Scorpion fish also refers to a group of several species. They are generally rocky bottom fish that blend very well into their natural environment. Scorpion fish is also one of the ingredients of bouillabaisse. It is fished with bait, but also in rock fishing on the shore, rockfishing, etc.. Be careful, it has thorny fins and can be poisonous (like flying scorpion fish).
The common sar: no, it is not the male sardine! Sea or brackish water fish, it is silvery and veined with black markings.
Regulations: To learn more about the regulation of fishing for fish and marine organisms in the Mediterranean, click here to reach the dedicated page of DIRM Méditerranée..
When to fish?
Seasonal fluctuations and daytime events have an impact on fishermen. Tides have an impact on the abundance of fish near the coast but they are quite negligible in the Mediterranean. The climate pushes or attracts fish to depths that provide them with an optimal temperature. The seasons see species migrate, spawn, etc.
The fish fishing schedule:
| Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | Cod | Cod | |
| Saint-Pierre | Saint-Pierre | Saint-Pierre | |
| Surmullet | Surmullet | Surmullet | Surmullet |
| Anchovy | Anchovy | ||
| Pilchard | Pilchard | ||
| Bass | Bass | Bass |
