General Figures
- France has a coastline of 8.245 km.
- France has coastlines on the Carribean and Indian Ocean with its 4 overseas territories - Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Reunion.
- France is the third biggest fishing fleet in EU-25 amounting to 11% in tonnage of the EU-25 total, with 7.700 registered vessels.
- France is in the 4th position in European total share of Short Sea Shipping (2005), which accounts for one tenth of the EU-25 total.
Maritime Activities
- The coastal tourism is the largest sector in the maritime and coastal economy in terms of turnover, added value and employment.
- The aquaculture sector is the biggest in Europe in terms of value (over €0.5 billion in 2005) and comprises around one fifth of total EU production.
- The pleasure boating industry has been developing steadily in the past decades, having nearly doubled the number of jobs in boatbuilding in the last decade.
Employment in maritime activities
| Maritime activity | Jobs |
| Coastal Tourism and recreation | 190 688 |
| Fisheries a) | 64 712 |
| Marine Equipment | 25 000 |
| Recreational boating | 40 000 |
| Seaports | 27 259 |
| Shipbuilding | 23 564 |
| a) Data comprise employment in fishing, fish processing and aquaculture | |
Further Information
http://europa.eu
http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/publications/studiews_reports_en.htm
http://www.europa.eu/comm/eurostat
http://www.eea.europa.eu/
http://www.eurosion.org
http://mer.equipment.gouv.fr
http://www.industrie.gouv.fr
http://www.sgmer.gouv.fr
http://www.ifremer.fr
http://www.nausicaa.fr
http://www.tech-brest-iroise.fr/
Source: EU Maritime Policy: Facts and Figures - France, 2008. [To consult the full document]
