How is running the auction ?

The auction is managing the whole services concerning seafood. From their arrival at the auction until their departure to wholesale fish merchants.

Product can be unloaded on the South quay of the Bassin du Commerce. It is generally the case for trawlers from 20 to 25 metres.

Product can be brought by fishermen or by the auction's lorry after a collection tour on the coast. These products are kept in stock in the refrigerated room which is opened for fishermen.

This product is graded by the auction according to specie, size, quality and presentation that is to say if it is whole, gatted or cut in tail.

It is after set up in boxes that we call "coffres". These boxes are weighted.

These boxes are gathered in homogeneous shares according to the quantity fished in the day. There are after marked by employees of the auction.

After employees of the auction type all information on a mobile computer.

Information are sent on the data processing sale system of the auction. A sale catalogue is printed and given to buyers.

Buyers and health department can control product.

Buyers connect on the data processing sale system either from the buying room or by remote control.

Cherbourg was the first auction in France and the third in Europe to set up this data processing system in may 1994.

Auction sales are implemented in decreasing. There are implemented ship by ship.

The sale operator, an employee of the auction gives a first price. The first buyer who stops sale has the share.

If the ship's owner is a member of a fishermen's organization, and if there is a share that is not sold, the sale is implemented at a minimum price. These withdrawal prices are established by Europe.

As sales by auction are declared, some tickets are printed with whole information and the name of the buyer.

These tickets are set up in boxes and allow the provision to buyers.

The auction establishes accounts for ships and implement to payment operations. Tickets are established for buyers in order to allow to receive payment for the amount of purchases once a week.

Statistics of the day are sent to agricultural office for seafood (OFIMER) that gives information to fishermen's organization within the follow through market and of the resource managing.

Just after the sale, the auction gathers products from trawlers from 20 to 25 metres for the sale of the day after. It draws lot for the sale turn, inform buyers by fax or by web.

In the day, the auction implements cleaning and maintenance of installations.

To be buyer at the auction, we have to be a professional, deposit bank a guarantee and commit on a minimum purchase : 1 % of the year tonnage or 1 % of the value of the year transaction or 72 days for purchase by half year.

Buyers of the auction are retailers, brokers who buy and sell without bringing added value on product brought by wholesale fish merchants.

Buyers grade product brought from the auction according to of their own customers requirements, cut it into fillets or slices or they peel it. Products are set up into refrigerated boxes and dispatch all over France but also in Italy and Spain.