Les pêcheries des Moutiers-en-Retz

Attention... private concession! In Les Moutiers-en-Retz, there are 36 fishing huts between Lancastria beach and Collet harbor. These "fishermen's huts" are located between the dunes and the foreshore. The Moutiers fisheries are accessible at both low and high tide. They belong to private owners who come to fish for the duration of a tide. The fisheries are subject to a concession granted by the Domaine Maritime, and users pay an annual fee. How do you fish? Generally at high tide, to catch mullet, small sole, shrimp and even eels! The principle is simple: a bait is placed in the center of the square net (hence the name: carrelet) the plaice is lowered into the water, After waiting just a few minutes, once the turbulence of the launch has passed, the net is hauled up, and if you're lucky, some fish or crustaceans will have slipped into the hollow of the carrelet. The haul-up is therefore rather random and the catches rare, but it's always a pleasant moment to spend. A little history Before 1900, local fishermen used a portable net suspended from long chestnut poles, known as "bois debout". The practice of this technique developed, giving way to fisheries. In the past, most fisheries on the Côte de Jade had no huts. Today, the construction of a footbridge facilitates access at high tide.