What measures can be taken to guarantee the quality of oysters?

Interview with Jean-Yves Le Goff, president of the Regional Shellfish Farming Committee * and Thomas Braguier, director of the CRC.

At the end of 2024, are you confident about the quality of oysters?

Yes for several reasons. The profession has become aware of the need to purify oysters for three weeks before consumption. 50% of contaminated batches last year came from an area where purification was not mandatory. This protocol guarantees the quality of the oysters. Furthermore, the dry and cold weather that we have had in recent weeks is favorable. Holiday oysters cannot be contaminated with norovirus.

How can you be sure?

An indicator has been developed: a bacteriophage, a cousin of norovirus, naturally present in our intestines, the level of which makes it possible to detect norovirus. It is thanks to him that we determined these three-week purification periods.

“No collective punishment”

What about the quality of discharged rainwater?

Pollution comes from the poor quality of rainwater and wastewater discharged, treatment or not, especially when it overflows, and undersized or porous networks. Communities have become aware of this. They have decided on the renovations that will be done gradually.

Read also. Meeting with an oyster farmer, at this “crucial” end of the year

But what if contamination occurs?

There would be no collective punishment like in previous years. We were guaranteed that there would only be individual closures.

Do all oyster farmers have the space and means to store much more and in good conditions?

Zones are not expandable. We support initiatives to maintain and renovate existing clearings. In the retro-coastal zone, in the salt marsh, there are areas to be reclassified. We must also consider the pooling of filtration groups and the earlier repatriation of breeding areas.

What do you say about the pressure on bulk purchasing prices?

Large stores put pressure on producers and wait until the last minute. But orders are not down for everyone.

What do you think about the creation of a producers' organization?

This is also a good solution. It depends on the will of the professionals.

The CRC brings together professionals in oyster farming, mussel farming and hatcheries from the Loire estuary (44) to the Bay of L'aiguillon (85), which represents 220 companies, around 500 jobs.