An INTERVIEW with Jean-Francois FEILLET, Director QSE and CSR, Maison Chancerelle, France
Contributor: Ethic Ocean
Chancerelle is a family-owned company based in Brittany specializing in canned fish preparation. Its flagship product is sardines, sold under the Connétable brand. Like all players in the canned fish sector, the Douarnenez-based group will have to comply with new traceability requirements starting in 2029, when the new European regulation comes into force. Producers of canned goods and seafood processors will then have to meet obligations already applied to fresh and frozen seafood operators. Jean-François Feillet, the group’s Quality and CSR Director, explains the steps already taken and the challenges ahead.
Small pelagics and tuna: the star products of canned fish
We market small pelagic fish that we can in our two canning factories in Douarnenez and in another facility we own in Agadir, Morocco. We are the leader in sardines in France, with 42% of the retail market. We also sell tuna, mainly albacore tuna, where we are also number one on the French market.
We also sell other products such as sprat and cod liver. We outsource production to partners located near fishing areas to ensure optimal quality, as these fish must be canned immediately after being caught.
Products mainly sourced from European waters
Sardines come from various European stocks: mainly the Bay of Biscay, as well as some from the English Channel and the Celtic Sea, with vessels landing in Boulogne-sur-Mer or Cornwall.
We also source a small amount from the Iberian stock via Portuguese suppliers. This stock was overfished but is now recovering, with catches becoming significant again – today even higher than in the Bay of Biscay. We also have suppliers in Morocco who mainly supply our Moroccan factory.
We also have a partner in Croatia. There are significant sardine fisheries in the Mediterranean although the stock is overexploited and catches have become very difficult.
Sourcing mackerel has also become challenging. We mainly work with Label Rouge certified canned fish, which requires using only fresh – not frozen – fish, as freshness ensures better organoleptic quality.
We source mackerel from Ireland and Scotland, not France, because French quotas are extremely low and do not allow for sufficient regular supply. Yet consistent supply is essential when working with fresh fish. Mackerel has been a difficult product for several years, and things are not improving as stocks are overexploited. Catches have dropped significantly and prices have risen sharply.