Sapmer embodies the dynamism and vitality of French offshore fishing. Created in 1947, the company stands out today as the leading shipowner specializing in three exceptional fisheries (toothfish and lobster in the southern seas and tropical tuna in the northern Indian Ocean). With this expertise, Sapmer is currently positioned as the leading employer of sailors in Reunion Island, significantly contributing to the local and national blue economy. Ranked second among Reunion exporters, the shipowner plays an important role in the international trade of quality seafood products. This is why it is committed to promoting sustainable exploitation of marine resources while respecting the ecosystems in which it operates., while generating positive socio-economic benefits for Reunion and France. Sapmer has just expanded its shareholder base with the entry into the capital of Reunion Island players, alongside Jacques de Chateauvieux. This capital increase strengthens its equity and will enable the launch of new investments., particularly for the renewal of its southern fleet with tailor-made and innovative ships, sized to the needs, both efficient and economical (both in investment and in operation). These new ships will be fitted out to improve the safety and working comfort of crews., while reducing their acoustic and environmental footprint with increased energy efficiency. Meeting with Adrien de Chomereau, CEO of Sapmer.
The year 2024 has started under good auspices for Sapmer, once again became a 100% Reunionese company. This was made possible by the will of Jacques de Chateauvieux., its historic shareholder, but also thanks to the support of other Reunion shareholders who mobilized alongside him. What about today ?
We had four objectives for Sapmer in 2023 when its sale was announced by its reference shareholder Jaccar Holdings. The first was that Sapmer's capital be under French interest. But we have gone beyond this since the capital is 100% Reunionese, which further increases our territorial anchoring. The second was that Sapmer could maintain its independence and competitive advantage within its sector. The third objective, that the entire scope of Sapmer’s activities is preserved, that is to say its three exceptional fisheries (lobster, toothfish and tuna) with its operational sites. And finally the fourth, that the financial solidity of the group is strengthened by a capital contribution. We are proud of the successful outcome of this project for Sapmer, for our employees, for Reunion Island and for French fishing. The new shareholders who chose to join the Sapmer adventure and participate in this capital increase all come from companies, of entrepreneurial families, organizations or industrial groups firmly anchored in Reunion since, for some of them, decades. None of the new shareholders strictly speaking come from the maritime world. They come from very varied sectors and together are representative of the diversity of the economic fabric of Reunion Island.. On this occasion, our board of directors is enriched with new personalities recognized in Reunion, whom we are honored to welcome on board Sapmer.
Can we talk about change in continuity? ?
Exactly ! This shareholder development further strengthens Sapmer’s anchoring in Reunion Island and maintains an emblematic company under the Reunion flag.. It comes the day after a strategic refocusing of its portfolio of activities on its toothfish fisheries, lobster and tuna under French quotas. The horizon is now clear to allow the company to fully express its know-how and talents.
The integrity of the company has been preserved, but since 2021 Sapmer has sold several vessels, as well as its Mauritian subsidiary. Can you recall the causes of this difficult transition for the company? ?
We have made the strategic choice to refocus on our fisheries under French quotas in order to have more visibility and guarantee on our activities and to affirm our French and Reunion roots.. In 2023, the decisions of the Mauritian government have become particularly destabilizing with an allocation of quotas to our Mauritian ships in a drastic and sudden drop. This situation weighed heavily on the profitability of our Mauritian activities.. This unfavorable development in the operating conditions of these activities forced us to sell our three tuna vessels under the Mauritian flag.. These choices were difficult, but made necessary to ensure the sustainability of the group's activities. Today with a 100% French fleet, the future is about perpetuating and strengthening activities based on healthy foundations, strong and durable.
How are Sapmer’s flagship markets doing? : toothfish, lobster and tuna ?
After a difficult period with Covid, the price of toothfish has returned to levels equivalent to 2019. Historical markets, such as China then the United States, and in particular the needs of the hotel-café-restaurant sector and large-scale distribution in these areas, continue to be carriers. In parallel, there is growing interest in this niche premium product with growing demand from other regions and markets, such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Saint-Paul lobster, whose main market is Japan, stands out from other origins and remains a product of choice on this market, despite less favorable exchange rates recently with the fall of the yen. It also faces increased competition from lobsters from other origins.. Global tuna market sees stable demand, and prices have been trending well for two years. otherwise, with the design of our vessels allowing dry freezing at -40°C, we benefit from great opportunities in Asia for our premium raw tuna, as well as in Reunion Island for our premium yellowfin tuna loins, which are fully reserved for our Sapmer counter.
During Responsible Fishing and Aquaculture Week, in February, young middle school students were able to visit Mascareignes III, rather modern looking ship. However, the company has announced that it wants to renovate its fleet. For what purpose, this renewal ? Are ships so old ?
Renewal of the longline fleet, which represents half of the Sapmer fleet, is the project for the next five years. It concerns our four longliners. These vessels fish in the French Southern and Antarctic lands 3,000 km south-east of the Reunion coast. They face hostile navigation conditions in the mythical Roaring Forties, with occasional dips of ten to fifteen meters and winds of 90 knots. A tide can last between 60 and 70 days, during which the ship and its crew are in almost total autonomy. The ships, equipment and men are put to the test ! These extreme conditions require very robust fishing tools and an experienced crew to ensure fishing operations., maximize the quality of the resource collected and ensure the best safety and working comfort conditions for sailors. For this reason, the renewal of vessels is a necessary step which necessarily includes reflection on technical and technological innovations to optimize fishing operations and improve the comfort and safety of sailors, but also a reflection on innovations in energy sobriety. Indeed, our teams work tirelessly to ensure that our ships are more economical in terms of energy consumption and that their environmental footprint is reduced as much as possible.
What is the main objective of Sapmer today : is it to remain the number one shipping company in Reunion and the second largest exporter in Reunion of food products? ?
The main objective of Sapmer, as a shipowner and entrepreneur in Reunion Island, is to invest, to be profitable and create jobs. It’s doing what Sapmer does best, based on long-term predictable fishing quotas : define, then invest in innovative and tailor-made vessels, operate them efficiently with experienced Sapmer crews, competent and trained, ensure traceability and high quality of products from the fishing ground to the customer with rigorous cold logistics, market our products both locally and internationally, where they are expected and valued. At the same time, it is about perfecting our Reunion know-how, to integrate innovations, to be competitive and efficient, to consolidate the product brand, the company brand and the employer brand. And in doing so, socio-economic benefits will increase and rankings will follow.
Sapmer holds several labels and signs of recognition of fishing that respects the marine environment. In particular the MSC label, awarded to fisheries respecting the reproduction of species. Are you also going to aim for the public sustainable fishing eco-label issued by the State?, that your colleague Réunion Pêche Australe has just obtained for toothfish fishing ?
We have the experience and know-how of sustainable fishing for 75 years, since our first fishing trips to the Saint-Paul and Amsterdam islands ! The toothfish fishery has been certified since 2013 for the Kerguelen fishing zone and since 2017 for Crozet. The lobster fishery has, as for her, was certified in 2020. Our purse seine skipjack tuna fishery is in the process of being certified ! Today we have more than ten years of experience working with MSC for management that ensures a balance of environmental issues., economic and societal. The MSC label is a reference for consumers around the world. It is particularly recognized by our customers in Asia, in Europe and North America. Its specifications are very strict, and our certified fisheries are audited every year. Sustainable fishing eco-label certification, in addition to the recognized certifications we already have, cannot be excluded if it is valued by our customers and our ecosystem.
Sapmer collaborates with the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN). What is the nature of this collaboration? ?
The collaboration with the MNHN does not start today. We need to go back in time a little to understand the scientific approach that has accompanied our activities since their beginning.. From the start, management of the fishery by the French Southern and Antarctic lands administration, on which Saint-Paul and Amsterdam depend and which will become autonomous in 1955, provides scientific monitoring of lobster exploitation in Saint-
the fisherman in frozen products on board ships. They collaborate with the best chefs to offer
inspiring recipes.
Paul and Amsterdam, in collaboration with the National Museum of Natural History of Paris. Catch quotas are set annually, the traps are sized to spare juveniles, the fishing season is limited to the four months of the austral summer, outside the laying period. In 1957 and 1958, it was even decided not to open fishing in order to promote the reconstitution of the resource. The foundations for sustainable fisheries management have already been laid. In 1979, a collaboration that will last decades begins with the young Guy Duhamel, 26 year old student at MNHN who, at the time, embarked on Cape Horn, one of our ships, to study the behavior of the Saint-Paul lobster. Guy Duhamel, became a teacher and developed a passion for the wildlife and landscapes of the southern seas, was at the head of numerous scientific campaigns to evaluate the resource on the Saint-Paul and Amsterdam islands, as well as Crozet and Kerguelen, ordered by TAAF in collaboration with Sapmer. The MNHN, whose specialized scientific team has been renewed and strengthened, draws on the data collected during these campaigns to provide robust analyzes on the state and dynamics of fish populations in fishing zones. This scientific diagnosis allows the TAAF administration to set the total allowable catches (TAC). It is therefore a triptych and virtuous collaboration between fishermen (shipowners including Sarmer), the scientists (with MNHN) and the manager (the TAAF) for sustainable resource management.
Do you intend to develop the Comptoirs Sapmer brand to reach a wider audience locally and increase the share of Reunion sales in your turnover? ?
Yes, clearly ! The Les Comptoirs Sapmer brand was inaugurated in 2017 with the opening of the first counter at the Port and has since developed very satisfactorily..
It offers our entire range of products, all caught by Sapmer ships — of course, the flagship products, toothfish, lobster and yellowfin tuna, but also all the ancillary captures such as Saint-Paul, cabot, grenadier, dolphinfish or octopus. These products are intended for restaurant owners on the island that we deliver and for individuals who are welcomed at the Sapmer counter at the West Port. Since its launch, the counter is experiencing constant double-digit growth per year, because it meets a strong and demanding demand for quality seafood products, in short circuit, directly from the producer, traceable and sustainable. Beyond the commercial aspect, the Sapmer counter has brought us considerably closer to our customers and end users in Reunion, and this proximity helps us improve our quality of service to better meet their expectations.
Same question regarding distance selling with collection of purchases at the Comptoirs Sapmer drive-thru ?
Our website is being completely redesigned and updated with the development of an e-commerce component.. The idea is to provide individuals and professional restaurateurs with a merchant site entirely intended for Comptoirs Sapmer to continue to develop the local market.. This new digital functionality will therefore increase the visibility of our products and facilitate access to them..
Sapmer remains the Reunion company that exports to the largest number of countries : thirty, we read on your website. Are you targeting new markets? ?
Indeed, with our three flagship product ranges: toothfish, lobster and tuna, we sell worldwide and on all continents. Our desire is to continue to diversify and promote our products in Reunion and around the world.. For example, we recently opened new countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East..
Also in terms of staff, Sapmer is certainly the Reunion industrialist employing the most people, and in particular sailors, in the meeting. How is employment distributed between maritime and land-based professions? ?
Sapmer is the leading employer of sailors in Reunion Island. Our activities bring together around 400 French employees, including approximately 270 sailors. The seasonal nature of our activities also leads us to employ numerous reinforcements during disembarkation periods., provisioning or maintenance of ships, not to mention the indirect jobs generated in our ecosystem. Sapmer is very active within the Porto employment pool and we have an internal mobility policy which allows the most motivated to build a career in the company and be able to progress from one type of fishing to another..
Work on the future high school of the sea, at the port, should start this year. What will be your contribution to the new establishment? ?
The blue economy is booming and, as the leading employer of sailors in Réunion, it is a duty to support young people in discovering our professions. Sapmer is firmly part of a program to support young generations. In particular, we have a historic partnership with the EAMR (maritime apprenticeship school in Reunion) and maritime CAP classes. Our initiatives materialize through internship offers and financial support which make it possible to offer educational assistance for most young people who join the EAMR.. We also regularly open our doors to young people interested in maritime careers., we participate in job fairs and are present alongside middle and high school students with presentations of our activities. We are always encouraged by the attention they pay to our speeches and the interest they show in our activities. We see young people's eyes light up when we show them around a ship. Of course, we will integrate future students of the Lycée de la Mer into this process of transmitting passion and know-how.
The time has come for the feminization of all professions. The women are, For example, increasingly present on French Navy ships. What about fishing ?
Female employment is increasing in the French Navy or in maritime commerce, this is a regular trend, but over a long time. Fishing, and in particular in our southern activities, working conditions and the duration of tides of around 80 days seem to be a barrier. We worked with the EAMR to reopen the boarding school for young women wishing to enter the seafaring profession, and why not specialize in fishing. Without suitable means upstream to allow access to training, it is more difficult to act. However, regulations require the presence of fisheries controllers on vessels operating in TAAF. Often these are women, so the doors are open. On the other hand, our teams on land on each site welcome many women, including within operational and logistics services which are nevertheless more traditionally male professions.
You emphasize the training of sailors. What is the focus of continuing professional training for seafarers? : the technological evolution of ships, environmental rules applying to fishing, etc. ?
The training focuses primarily on risk prevention and mastery of safety actions.. The regulatory requirement in terms of training and aptitude of sailors to practice their profession is very strong, and this is a factor in protecting sailors and the environment. We also work to develop skills that have become essential in crew management for those who supervise them and to improve the interpersonal skills essential to facilitate work and life on board for sailors..
Does the automation of tasks represent a challenge in the world of fishing? ?
We carefully follow technological developments, and test them as soon as we can and they make sense to us ! Research and technical and technological innovation are essential in our fields of activity : the stakes are high, primarily on the subjects of resource management and environmental policy, because it is the sustainable nature of our activities that makes them sustainable. There are also the subjects of energy sobriety and of course the profitability of operations.. The knowledge of our sailors remains a priority, but innovation has its role to play in improving their comfort and safety. For exemple, we are currently experimenting on one of our longliners, a 100% electric fishing gear model. This is all the equipment that allows the line to be raised, toothfish, hooks and who manage the turning operations, untangling and storing lines. The old version of the hydraulic turning gear generated a lot of noise and handling. The 100% electric version gives more flexibility to the turning gear, in response to the swell, and avoids line break problems. Fisheries management is optimized and more efficient. This new equipment is also a real comfort for the crew. True to its pioneering spirit, the launch of this 100% electric equipment on a Sapmer boat is a world first in the toothfish sector.
ADRIEN DE CHOMEREAU, CAPTAIN OF SAPMER
Adrien de Chomereau was born in Paris in 1981. After studying management sciences at Sorbonne University (Paris), an enriching three-year experience in the KPMG Paris office and a six-year expatriation in Asia, particularly in Vietnam and Shanghai, he joined the Sapmer group in 2014 as administrative and financial director.
He was appointed CEO in 2015 and CEO in 2021.. Since his arrival in Sapmer, Adrien de Chomereau plays an essential role in the development and consolidation of the company. Under his leadership, the company has refocused its activities and extended its reach to Reunion Island and internationally. Made up of its new administrators, the board of directors which met on April 17 decided to modify the governance of the company by separating the functions of president and general manager. General management continues to be ensured by Adrien de Chomereau, while the presidency of the board of directors is now ensured by Régis Moreau, CEO of Austral Sourcing.
The SPAMER CSR “crew”
In 2018, to assert its positioning as a key player in sustainable fishing, Sapmer has created a sustainable development department made up of a person responsible for resource management and environmental policy., an environmental standards and certifications coordinator, a quality manager and an HSE manager (hygiene, safety and environment).
In 2019, a compliance and CSR manager has joined the group with the mission of evaluating and managing the group’s environmental and societal impacts.
LESSER KNOWN SEAFOOD PRODUCTS
Southern and tropical waters are full of marine treasures, including lobster, toothfish and tuna stand out for their flavor.
However, the wealth of southern and Indian Ocean fishing is not limited to these renowned species. Lesser known products, such as the Saint-Paul, also called false cod, ou le mahi-mahi (dolphin sea bream) have gained popularity in local restaurants where they are cooked as tartares, ceviches or in semi-cooked preparations.
Southern and tropical waters are full of marine treasures, including lobster, toothfish and tuna stand out for their flavor.
However, the wealth of southern and Indian Ocean fishing is not limited to these renowned species. Lesser known products, such as the Saint-Paul, also called false cod, ou le mahi-mahi (dolphin sea bream) have gained popularity in local restaurants where they are cooked as tartares, ceviches or in semi-cooked preparations.
Five key dates of the adventure
1947 : creation of a Reunion armament by three entrepreneurs.
1949 : Lobster fishing in Saint-Paul and Amsterdam.
1980 : toothfish fishing towards the Kerguelen and Crozet islands.
2005 : tropical tuna fishing and implementation of a valorization plant.
2017 : launch of Comptoirs Sapmer.
