Shellfish gathering in la Manche

Where to gather shellfish in la Manche?

Here are some spots and the species you’ll find there, but take care to always protect these fragile environments:

• In the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, you’ll find mostly brown shrimps and cockles
• On the beaches around Granville, feast on razor clams, cockles and clams
• Chausey is shellfish heaven. During the spring tides, you’ll be able to find razor clams, cockles and clams. The famous Chausey lobster hides away in holes, but you might be lucky enough to find one.
• Around Agon-Coutainville, from Coutainville to Pointe-Agon, you can gather clams, crabs and prawns.
• In Pirou and nearby, oysters, clams, winkles, whelks, cockles and dog cockles will keep you busy.
• From Portbail to Barneville-Carteret, the long beaches are home to winkles, prawns, crabs, brown shrimps, razor clams and lobsters
• On the vast beaches in Les Pieux, you’ll find limpets, crabs and winkles.
• Near Goury and La Hague headland, you can gather abalones, crabs, prawns, limpets, winkles and lobsters
• From Querqueville to Fermanville, bag yourself some clams, limpets, lobsters, crabs, razor clams, prawns and abalones
• Barfleur and Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue are renowned for their mussels and oysters. But in the bay from Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue to Morsalines, you’ll also find crabs, razor clams, cockles, clams and winkles
• From Quinéville to Ravenoville, search for limpets, crabs, prawns, brown shrimps, mussels and lobsters
• In the bay of Les Veys, oysters and cockles will be your main catch, but be careful not to get stuck in the sand!

As you can see, there are almost as many spots to gather shellfish in la Manche as there are shellfish gatherers, lots of whom have their favourite places and like to keep them secret. Head off to find your own spot and your favourite shellfish on the huge beaches of the department. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and to reconnect with nature.

Here are some simple rules to follow to ensure the sustainability of shellfish gathering: : 

• Only gather what you need.
• Before you go, find out about the place, the periods and the fishing prohibitions in your zone. Shellfish gathering is a highly regulated activity.
• Always respect minimum sizes and catch quotas. Use a gauge adapted to each species. The tools authorised for this practice are regulated by law: stay informed.
• Sort what you gather: shells that are too small can be buried again and females carrying eggs must be released.
• Remember to return any stones you move to their initial position, same side up, to protect the ecosystem (failing to do so is now an offence). Likewise, it’s forbidden to take any seaweed found on rocks.
• To combat poaching, lobsters and certain fish must be marked.
• If you’re unsure about the regulations in force, contact the local authorities for advice.

Regulations on shellfish gathering

Our tips for successful shellfish gathering

Plan your trip carefully

Shellfish gathering is a practice that’s intrinsically linked to the tides. It’s therefore essential to carefully check the tide times before heading to the beach. Ideally, you should begin gathering two hours before low tide and leave at low tide in order to avoid being cut off as the sea comes back in. It’s said that in la Manche, the tide comes in at the speed of a galloping horse, so be very careful, and even more so during the spring tides.

Tip: Pick a landmark on the coast to avoid going astray and regularly check the water level.

What equipment will you need and how do you use it?

You don’t need any specific equipment, but be careful to comply with regulations. As a minimum, you’ll need a bucket or a basket, a push net (or dip net) to gather prawns, and a gauge to measure the shellfish.

Our tips for sustainable shellfish gathering : 

Mussels, oysters, winkles and whelks are often attached to rocks. You can simply detach them gently. For razor clams, look for the small characteristic holes and put some salt in them, which will make the razor clams emerge from the sand so that you can gather them. For cockles and clams, you need to look out for two small holes and a small squirt of water to find these molluscs. To protect this fragile environment, don’t use a rake.

Discovering the foreshore with a guide

Do you want to try shellfish gathering but you don’t know how to go about it? Then try one of the many nature outings available on the coast of la Manche !