Interview – City and Port of Sète

The port of Sète, created in 1666 under the reign of Louis XIV, is now the second largest port on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille-Fos. It is a multi-purpose port, an essential link in the logistics chain of the Occitanie region, and a gateway to Europe. It is owned by the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée region, which in 2008 set up a regional public institution called “Port Sud de France” to manage the 3 port concessions: the commercial, fishing and yachting ports. The port of Sète - Frontignan plays a key role as an economic player, supporting the fishing industry, whose trawler activity is in difficulty, promoting international trade, hosting industrial activities, supporting tourism and generating numerous direct and indirect jobs. The city of Sète lies on a lido between the Etang de Thau, a lagoon ecosystem, and the Gulf of Lion. It backs onto Mont-Saint-Clair, an escarpment that constitutes a remarkable natural heritage. Geographical constraints are also the strength of Sète, which has based its identity on its maritime, coastal and port history. Today, it is the most populous commune in a conurbation that also includes Frontignan, Mèze and Marseillan. The dynamic growth of the Port of Sète since at least 2019 has been much noted. The various types of traffic, particularly ferries and cruise ships, represent both an economic opportunity and a challenge for the balance of the region. Sète's marina is also very active, with 800 berths and a thousand additional moorings along the canals. The local players have succeeded in establishing a new dynamic of cooperation. Various projects have emerged to green the port and redevelop the city-port interface. That's why we wanted to interview François Commeinhes, Mayor of Sète, and Philippe Malagola, President of the Port of Sète. The Port of Sète Sud de France joined AIVP in 2023 and the City of Sète in 2024. Could you tell us how you manage to harmoniously reconcile port development and the living environment? City of Sète Sète was built around its port. Whether it's fishing, trading, cruising or yachting, the town retains a close link with port activity. "When I go back along the chain of my life, I find it attached by these iron rings that are sealed in the stone of our quays. The other end is in my heart", wrote Paul Valéry. This phrase, now engraved on a monumental sculpture adjacent to the marina, symbolizes the town's attachment to its port. In 2016, the 350e anniversary of the port's creation was the occasion for a major heritage, cultural and popular celebration that drew huge crowds, culminating in the “Escale à Sète” event, the largest biennial celebration of Mediterranean maritime traditions co-organized by the eponymous association, the town and the port. Port development contributes to a dynamic economic life and job creation. The fishing boats moored in the heart of the city are the crucible of its identity. Cruise passengers benefit the shops and restaurants in the town center. Average spending is estimated at 50 euros per person. Walking tours organized by the Sète agglopôle Méditerranée tourist office invite cruise passengers to visit the town center. The port of Sète is also a question of landscapes, of contemplating the work of men. Historically, port activity has always been intertwined with the town, first with wine and cooperage traffic, then with the fishing port, and finally at the beginning of the 20th century with the diversification of the commercial port. The development of industrial activities then made cohabitation more complex, until the sudden closure of the Frontignan refinery. In the doldrums of the early 2000s, port activity was revived thanks to major investments by the Occitanie region, which concentrated development to the east of the town, less visible from the town center. The destruction of the old grain silos in 2013, which stood 52 m high, also opened up new landscape perspectives. Port of Sète Naturally, the town and the port, the port and the town are intertwined. Not only the port's fish auction, but also all of the marina's structures have historically been integrated into the city center. More recently, the Grande Plaisance Yachting center has been integrated into the commercial port on the Orsetti basin, and will be completely refurbished in 2019 in order to better integrate the city and the port. The refurbishment involved relocating the ferry arrivals, providing OPS and planting the yachting basin. The development of the Port of Sète-Frontignan reached this year its 9th consecutive year of record activity (excluding covid year), i.e. increasing development since 2014. Thanks to investments by the Occitanie Region, the port's owner, the Port of Sète has been able to modernize its infrastructure, diversify its activities and become an attractive, dynamic and environmentally-friendly port. Investments reflect a remarkable partnership between the public (Occitanie Region and Port Sud de France) and private (industrialists present in the port) sectors. In 2019, we reached a peak in cruise activity, with 115,000 cruise passengers calling at Sète (compared with 1,866,0000 for Marseille in the same year). In the wake of…