©Lobster Chausey Archipelago Granville|Cécile Ballon

Chausey lobsterThe blue prince of the destination

Chausey lobster

The Chausey Archipelago, a natural jewel both rich and fragile, abounds in marine resources. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Comité Régional des Pêches de Normandie, the Conservatoire du Littoral and local fishermen, its resources are examined, counted and preserved to keep them intact for years to come. As a result, we can still enjoy this famous crustacean, caught in its natural environment using traps by professionals or hooks by amateur fishermen.

The king of crustaceans!

The lobster is recognizable by its beautiful bluish-black coat that turns brick-red when cooked. It’s a solitary creature that lives under rocks. It feeds on mollusks, crustaceans and worms. It has asymmetrical claws capable of breaking shells. Its two claws have different functions: one is cutting and the other, larger, is crushing.

It can measure up to 60 cm and weigh up to 7 kg.

Where, when and how to catch it?

For amateur anglers, it’s caught during the high equinox tides. You need to be clever to flush it out and patient to dislodge it from its hiding place, which it leaves only at night to feed. You have to look for holes and rocky masses that are often difficult to access. If you listen carefully, you can hear the clicking of its claws. You need a gaff or a hook to catch it.

The legal catch size is 8.7 cm (from the back of the eye to the base of the cephalothorax), which corresponds to a lobster weighing around 450 / 500 gr. The maximum quantity allowed is 4 individuals per day. At our destination, it is fished on the Chausey archipelago.

It is caught in traps by our professional fishermen. The daily routine of a lobster fisherman is to raise his longlines made up of traps. A line is a long rope or “bout” (pronounced “boute”) on which traps are attached and spaced about 12 meters apart. When the fisherman raises the trap, it’s a surprise every time.

The fisherman checks the correct size of lobster with a pigeon. Malo Esnouf is the youngest lobster fisherman in the Chausey archipelago. We had the privilege of following him.

©Malo Esnouf, lobster and dogfish fishing boss|Cécile Ballon

Its contributions

for our health:

-Vitamin E (antioxidant)
-Vitamin PP (energy production)
-Omega 3 (prevention of cardiovascular disease)
-Magnesium (muscle and nerve function)

Recipe and tips

to taste it!

It can be eaten all year round, but the peak season remains from April to September.

Warm or cold, en papillote or grilled, lobster is a pleasure without equal. It is cooked by plunging it alive into a court-bouillon. Its flesh is firm and delicious. You can enjoy it in our restaurants.