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It's a quiet but decisive turning point for the future of small-scale fishing. The Skravik, a recycled sailing catamaran, has just begun its first inshore fishing campaigns in Brest harbor. Officially approved in autumn 2024 as France's first professional fishing sailboat, it represents a break with dependence on combustion engines, relying on wind propulsion to reduce costs and environmental impact, and promote quality fishing.
Pioneering certification, the result of three years of regulatory work
Initially a pleasure sailboat, the Skravik was redesigned to meet the constraints of fishing, in a regulatory context designed exclusively for motorized vessels. To obtain approval, we had to work closely with the Maritime Affairs and the Finistère Fisheries Committee, to adapt the regulations to the specific technical features of this yacht.
This approach demonstrated that sailfishing could be compatible with health, safety and traceability requirements, potentially paving the way for other similar projects.
Energy savings and short supply chains
At the helm is Tangi Le Bot, a marine biologist by training, and no stranger to scientific navigation. With Fram, his crewmate, they have started marketing their âeuro mackerel fishery to begin with âeuros direct from the quayside in the small port of Le Tinduff. The economic approach is sober: adding value to the fish, controlled volumes, a direct link with consumers, without having to depend on the price of fuel.
The aim: to ensure a profitable tide (around 400 to 500 euros/day) while preserving the resource and maintaining a pace compatible with the ecological transition.
A cooperative to spread the model
The project is run by a collective interest cooperative (SCIC), bringing together 115 cooperators. Shared governance brings together private players, citizens and public bodies around a single objective: to develop a sustainable sail fishing fleet on the French coast.
A second, larger boat, the Morskoul, is about to embark on scientific missions in partnership with the University of La Rochelle. These missions testify to the collective's determination to combine economic activity, environmental research and training.
A modest but structuring transition
The Skravik does not claim to replace all trawls or thermal gillnetters. It does, however, demonstrate that another form of artisanal fishing is technically and economically feasible. And it does so without dependence on oil, relying on reconditioned vessels, a cooperative model and short distribution channels.
This project opens up new prospects for young seafaring professionals in search of meaning and viability. It's an avenue to be followed closely by public policies wishing to support the energy transition of the fishing industry.
