With Saint-Malo and Dunkirk in northern France, Granville was one of the main privateer ports in Normandy under the reign of Louis XIV until the fall of Napoleon III. The numerous wars against Great Britain interfered with cod fishing, essential for the local economy. The sovereigns then distributed letters of marque allowing private sailors to chase down English ships and keep 10% of their catch. Many became King's privateers, not to be confused with pirates. In 1856, Emperor Napoleon III banned commissionated attacks.