French fishing ports
Saint-Malo fish auction:king scallop, its seasons and how to get fish delivered
Saint-Malo fish auction: 2024 figures, king scallop at 87%, scallop bed calendar, whelk, cuttlefish, warty venus clam, nearby Granville and delivery.
Updated 7 min readLiveCriée editorial team
Contents
- What the Saint-Malo fish auction really sells
- The Saint-Malo fish auction in figures
- King scallop from the Saint-Malo bed
- When to buy what? The calendar of the leading species
- How does the sale work?
- Saint-Malo or Granville: where to buy the shellfish of the bay?
- How to get fish delivered from Saint-Malo?
- Frequently asked questions
The Saint-Malo fish auction (criée), in Ille-et-Vilaine, is first and foremost a king scallop auction: in 2024, king scallop made up 87% of its sales, out of a total of 1,657 tonnes and €3.5 million (FranceAgriMer). It is the smallest fish auction in France by value, but one of the eight whose volumes have grown since 2015. For crustaceans and the other shellfish of the bay, buyers also look to Granville, on the other side of the bay.
What the Saint-Malo fish auction really sells
| Species | Tonnes sold in 2024 | Value | Average price | Share of the auction's value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King scallop | 1,540 t | €3,048k | €1.98/kg | 87% |
| Cuttlefish | 35 t | €142k | €4.05/kg | 4% |
| Whelk | 39 t | €125k | €3.25/kg | 4% |
| Warty venus clam | 24 t | €109k | €4.59/kg | 3% |
| Squid (encornet, calmars) | 6 t | €28k | €4.83/kg | 1% |
| Dover sole | 1 t | €17k | €15.11/kg | less than 1% |
| Abalone | less than 1 t | €6k | €28.13/kg | less than 1% |
Source: FranceAgriMer, sales declared at fish auctions in 2024 (French vessels), all species detailed for Saint-Malo.
The image of a crustacean auction does not stand up to the figures: in 2024, neither spider crab, nor European lobster, nor brown crab appear in the detailed sales of Saint-Malo. The vessels are dredgers and multi-purpose trawlers, which alternate between trawl and dredge depending on the season; no exclusive trawler sells there. The dredge alone accounts for half of the volumes. All the other species together weighed only 12 tonnes in 2024.
The Saint-Malo fish auction in figures
- 1,657 tsold at auction in 2024
- €3.5Min sales
- 87%of the value in king scallop
- 834 tin 2015: volumes have doubled
Source: FranceAgriMer, 2024.
| 2015 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantities sold | 834 t | 1,560 t | 1,657 t |
| Value of sales | €2.7M | €3.5M | €3.5M |
| Average price | €2.24/kg | €2.11/kg | |
| National rank by volume | 24th out of 34 | ||
| National rank by value | 34th out of 34 |
Source: FranceAgriMer, sales declared at fish auctions in 2024; 2015 values in constant euros.
Volumes have doubled since 2015, while French fish auctions as a whole lost a quarter of theirs. Saint-Malo king scallop, on the other hand, sells cheaply: €1.98/kg on average in 2024, the lowest price of the fifteen main king scallop auctions, against €2.50/kg nationally and €2.82/kg in Dieppe. FranceAgriMer's data do not say why.
King scallop from the Saint-Malo bed
King scallop fishing in the bay is regulated by the Brittany regional fisheries committee, on a proposal from the Ille-et-Vilaine departmental committee. For the first part of the 2026-2027 season, the decision sets:
| Period | Dredge fishing days |
|---|---|
| 1 October to 26 November 2026 | Tuesday and Thursday |
| 30 November 2026 to 14 January 2027 | Monday to Thursday (closed on 24 and 31 December; open on Friday 18 and Sundays 13, 20 and 27 December) |
Source: Brittany regional committee for maritime fisheries, decision No 139-2026 of 21 September 2026. The closing date of the season will be set during the season.
Three rules directly concern the buyer:
- Fishing is only allowed from 7 am to 12 noon (from 6 am to 12 noon from 20 to 29 October 2026).
- A daily cap of 1,050 kg net per vessel, crew's share (godaille) included. Landings are therefore regular but capped, which matters in December, when holiday demand rises.
- All catches are weighed and recorded at the fish auction hall of the port of landing. A vessel working the Saint-Malo bed cannot work another one on the same day.
The calendar changes every season and may be modified during the season depending on the resource and the market. For the current season, check with your fish merchant (mareyeur).
When to buy what? The calendar of the leading species
The calendar marks the months of high landings, read from the monthly sales of all French fish auctions in 2024.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King scallop | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | available | low landings | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings |
| Cuttlefish | available | available | available | peak landings | available | low landings | low landings | available | available | peak landings | peak landings | available |
| Whelk | available | available | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | available | low landings | low landings | available | low landings | available |
| Warty venus clam | available | available | available | available | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | available | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings |
●● high landings; ● present; ○ low; empty cell: fishery closed or figure not published. National rhythm of auction sales (FranceAgriMer, 2024); it varies from one port to another.
For king scallop, the national average price went from about €2/kg in May 2024, at the end of the season, to nearly €3/kg in December. Warty venus clam follows a similar pattern: its landings peak in December and its prices climb back from November.
How does the sale work?
We have found no published sale times. For king scallop, the first handling of catches, their weighing and their recording take place at the fish auction hall of the port of landing (decision No 139-2026). Bidding is reserved for buyers declared to the auction hall operator (Article D932-9 of the French rural code); a restaurant or a fishmonger generally goes through a fish merchant.
The Brittany Region is the granting authority for the fishing ports of Saint-Malo and Cancale: in July 2026, it launched the procedure for a new concession, for twenty years.
Saint-Malo or Granville: where to buy the shellfish of the bay?
On the other side of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Granville fish auction (Manche) is five times bigger and covers what Saint-Malo does not sell.
| 2024 | Saint-Malo | Granville |
|---|---|---|
| Quantities sold | 1,657 t | 8,243 t |
| Value | €3.5M | €19.8M |
| King scallop | 1,540 t, €1.98/kg | 3,403 t, €2.03/kg (3rd fish auction in France by volume) |
| Whelk | 39 t | 1,782 t (51% of the national total, 1st auction) |
| Warty venus clam | 24 t | 409 t (52%, 1st auction) |
| Spider crab | not detailed | 211 t (14%, 2nd auction) |
| European lobster | not detailed | 13 t |
Source: FranceAgriMer, 2024 data; shares calculated by the editorial team on the total of French fish auctions.
For a buyer, the consequence is simple: a fish merchant of the bay who buys at both fish auctions can offer king scallop, whelk, warty venus clam, spider crab and European lobster in the same shipment.
We do not publish a list of fish merchants. Company profiles will come with their agreement.
How to get fish delivered from Saint-Malo?
- Go through a fish merchant of the bay
They buy in the hall, sort, grade, pack and ship. Several also work the neighbouring fish auctions.
- Order according to the fishing days
King scallop only arrives on authorised days: order the day before a fishing day.
- Allow for the distance
Saint-Malo is about 410 km from Paris and 70 km from Rennes by road. In the large cities, directly or via Rungis, king scallop caught in the morning is generally delivered the next day, depending on the fish merchant and the carrier.
- Specify the presentation
Whole live scallop, fresh scallop meat, with or without roe: the price per kilo is not comparable from one presentation to another. The food cost guide helps bring each offer back to the price per usable kilo.
- Demand traceability
For shellfish sold alive, ask for the health label and the fishing area of each lot. See the traceability and labelling guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Saint-Malo fish auction sell?
Mainly king scallop: 1,540 tonnes in 2024, 87% of the value sold (FranceAgriMer). The rest is shared between cuttlefish, whelk, warty venus clam and a little squid and Dover sole.
When is the king scallop season in Saint-Malo?
From October to May at most, on fishing days set each season: fishing is closed everywhere from 15 May to 30 September inclusive (order of 12 May 2003). In 2026-2027, the Saint-Malo bed opened on Thursday 1 October; the published calendar runs until 14 January 2027, from 7 am to 12 noon, and the closure will be set during the season.
Is Saint-Malo king scallop cheaper than elsewhere?
At auction, yes on average: €1.98/kg in 2024, the lowest price of the fifteen main king scallop auctions (FranceAgriMer). The data do not say why. For the buyer, what matters is the delivered price, for the same size grade and presentation.
Can you find European lobster and spider crab at the Saint-Malo fish auction?
Very little: they do not appear in the detailed sales of 2024, where all the species outside the seven main ones make up only 12 tonnes. For these crustaceans, the Granville fish auction, on the other side of the bay, is much better supplied.
Can a restaurant buy directly at the Saint-Malo fish auction?
Bidding is reserved for buyers declared to the fish auction. A restaurant generally goes through a fish merchant, who buys for it and ships; it is generally delivered the next day, depending on the fish merchant and the carrier.
How to find out the day's price of king scallop in Saint-Malo?
The sale is by auction, between buyers declared to the fish auction. For a purchase price, the simplest is the price list of a fish merchant of the bay. For a trend, FranceAgriMer publishes average prices by auction and by species every year.
Sources
- FranceAgriMer, Données de ventes déclarées en halles à marée en 2024 (sales declared at fish auctions in 2024), edition of 6 June 2025 (ranking of auction halls, Saint-Malo and Granville sales by species, detail by species and by auction hall, national monthly sales, sales by fleet segment, trend from 2015 to 2024): https://www.franceagrimer.fr/sites/default/files/2025-06/BIL-MER-VENTES_HAM-A24.pdf
- Comité régional des pêches maritimes et des élevages marins de Bretagne (Brittany regional committee for maritime fisheries and marine farming), decision No 139-2026 of 21 September 2026 opening and setting the calendar and hours of king scallop dredge fishing in the Saint-Malo sector, first part of the 2026-2027 season (calendar, hours, 1,050 kg per vessel per day, weighing at the auction hall, a single bed per day), read on 23 October 2026: https://www.bretagne-peches.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/139-2026-ouverture-csj-ille-et-vilaine-2026-2027-drague.pdf
- French order of 12 May 2003 regulating king scallop fishing (closure from 15 May to 30 September inclusive), consolidated version read on 22 October 2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000787260/
- Marchés Online, notice from the Brittany Region, "Concession des ports de pêche de Saint-Malo et Cancale" (concession of the fishing ports of Saint-Malo and Cancale), published on 19 July 2026 (term of 240 months, bids until 30 September 2026), read again on 23 October 2026: https://www.marchesonline.com/appels-offres/avis/concession-des-ports-de-peche-de-saint-malo-et-cancale/ao-9635103-1
- French rural and maritime fishing code, Article D932-9 (declaration of buyers to the auction hall operator), read on 22 October 2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000029978433
- UNECE, UN/LOCODE, France list, code FR SML "Saint-Malo" (coordinates 4839N 00201W), read on 23 October 2026: https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/fr.htm
Suppliers in Saint-Malo: the directory
Companies with a site in the port, from the register, sanitary approvals and their own websites.
- Wholesaler · Saint-MaloGC CrustacésWholesaler of live and cooked shellfish and crustaceans in Saint-Malo, which does not sell small quantities to private customers.See the profile
- Fish merchant · Miniac-MorvanPêcheries OcéanesFish and seafood wholesaler since 1995, a subsidiary of the Océalliance group, head office in Miniac-Morvan.See the profile
- Fish merchant or wholesaler · Saint-MaloLe CorsaireSee the profile
- Fish merchant or wholesaler · Saint-MaloLes Pecheurs de Saint MaloSee the profile
- Fish merchant or wholesaler · Saint-MaloMathieu Crustaces MareeSee the profile
- Fish merchant or wholesaler · Saint-MaloNegostreaSee the profile
Criée de Saint-Malo: sales and species →All suppliers in Saint-Malo →
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