Jean Pronost, seaweed harvester

Born in 1922 in Landéda, Jean Pronost began working as a seaweed harvester in 1936. Embarked from a very young age, he discovered early on “life on the islands” and work at the port of Vil’h. Over 53 seasons, he experienced the harsh days of harvesting and the trade’s transformations: first cutting with the guillotine, then the hand scoubidou, and finally the hydraulic scoubidou. Aboard his successive boats, from the Éliane to the Triskell, he was a direct witness to this evolution.

Deeply committed to defending the profession, he represented the seaweed harvesters before industrialists and public authorities for many years. At the time, seaweed harvesting mobilised the whole family: everyone took part in spreading or stacking the seaweed on the dune.

Jean recalls a major turning point in the trade in 1978, after the oil spill caused by the wreck of the Amoco-Cadiz: “The best thing in the trade was when the factory owners agreed to accept undried seaweed. Before that, my wife ate all her meals standing up, always keeping an eye outside, ready to react to the slightest drop of rain. After that, we could finally enjoy the well-earned peace and quiet once we were back home.”