Many consumers became ill at Christmas after eating oysters from the Arcachon basin. A few days before the New Year, the prefecture of Gironde had therefore temporarily banned sales all the shellfish that were farmed there. For the oyster farmers affected, the shortage is enormous. All industry professionals are seriously concerned and generally fear a crisis in consumer confidence.

Why do oysters from the Arcachon basin remain unfit for consumption?

In a statement published on December 27, reported the Gironde prefecture “Several cases of collective food poisoning » and revealed “the presence of norovirus” in oysters from the Arcachon basin. “The symptoms are consistent with those of acute gastroenteritis and no serious cases have been reported to date.”stated the prefecture.

Oyster farmers emphasize this explicitly: it’s not about the health quality of their products. The job is “Victims of the overloading of the sewage and stormwater networks”what creates “overflows into the natural environment”thereby contaminating oyster farms, according to the Arcachon Aquitaine Regional Shellfish Farming Committee (CRCAA). In two and a half months, the area rained about 550 millimeters of water, compared to 800 millimeters per year in general, Olivier Laban, president of the CRCAA and an oyster farmer in Gujan-Mestras, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). . “The sewage system overflowed and the dirty water migrated to the lowest point, the pool water.”he explained. “It’s hard to swallow [l’interdiction à la vente] Because we have nothing to do with it, my colleagues and I did our job well.”emphasized the professional representative.

“These temporary bans have no connection with the work of mussel farmersconfirmed the Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, in an interview with Western FranceDecember 31st. The biggest problem is actually the municipalities’ investments in treatment systems [d’eaux usées]. We will make arguments with communities to accelerate investment where it is needed. »

Other Regions Are they affected?

In Normandy there are two very limited sectors: Calvados and Manche are also affected through a temporary ban on sales since December 29th. These are the productions of Grandcamp-Maisy and Géfosse-Fontenay in the Bayeux district and those of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue in the north-east of the Cotentin.

These bans are justified on the same grounds as in the Gironde, viz “Cases of collective food poisoning”the prefectures announced in two separate press releases. “Traceability surveys and analyzes” performed in the Calvados show “This contamination of oysters (…) is in question », according to the prefecture of this departmentwho gave no further details. “These measures will be lifted as soon as the health quality of the shellfish is fully satisfactory again.”added the prefecture.

For its part, the Prefecture of Vendée banned the fishing and consumption of shellfish from the Payré Canal area in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire on January 3rd. “due to the presence of norovirus”, according to a press release. “The ban applies until a satisfactory health situation is restored”, the prefecture added, again without giving a more precise deadline. The deadline for this type of contamination is generally twenty-eight days, one manufacturer told AFP.

What economic consequences for the industry?

Although these bans are temporary, they represent a severe blow to industry professionals as the year-end holidays represent their peak selling period. Oyster farmers in the Arcachon basin estimate their losses at around 8 million euros would like to be partially compensated. “Today we need to know who will pay the bill”opened Mr. Laban and once again condemned the municipalities that manage the sanitation network. “who has shown his limits”. “We are not demanding reimbursement of the entire turnover, but only the lost gross margin” because once the water quality is restored, the oysters can be offered for sale again.

Mr. Berville assured Western France that an emergency meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau took place on December 28th. According to the Secretary of State for the Maritimes, meetings with representatives of the sector should take place this week “to define the support that will be provided”. “We are waiting for an accurate estimate of the sales losses and are considering additional help for affected companies.” who are not “Not responsible in any way”, Mr. Berville insisted. The Minister of Public Finance, Thomas Cazenave, stated on January 3rd on the social network have asked the DGFiP [Direction générale des finances publiques]to Urssaf and to the MSA [Mutualité sociale agricole] “particular friendliness towards affected oyster farmers, in particular granting payment deadlines for tax and social security deadlines.”.

In addition to the financial consequences, oyster farmers fear consumer dissatisfaction. “People don’t buy anymore (…) There is general panic, although we have not even reached 10% of the contaminated areas.” Compared to the total national production, Philippe Le Gal, president of the National Shellfish Culture Committee (CNC), expressed his regret to AFP: “The damage is done, the trust is broken. »