Hodowla ostryg Marennes-Oleron

David Rocheteau, who has just taken over his father Anthony's hut (ex-football player Dominique Rocheteau's brother), takes us to the oyster parks of the Marennes-Oleron basin, on board of "Mexico", referring to the 1968 World Cup in Mexico, to the oyster maturing area and to the hut, where the oysters are sorted and packed. The Marennes-Oleron oyster beds are renowned for their oyster production. The oysters are bred in beds 5 km out at sea, then matured in shallow ponds called claires. The blue navicula, a small algae present in these ponds, is the reason for the green colour of the Claire oyster, well known by the gastronome. The great quality of the Marennes-Oleron oysters is linked to the mixture of the fresh and salt water, as well as to the maturing in claires. Oysters have been enjoyed by the French since the Roman occupation, if not much earlier. Oyster parks were introduced in France by Napoleon 3rd, because the gathering of wild oysters was wiping the species out. The first farm began production in the Arcachon area, in 1849. Etaules, western France, December 1, 2020. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM