VIDEO. Oyster sales ban: a sledgehammer for Arcachon oyster farmers

Maxim Kheloufi’s ponds are empty, and his oysters are waiting to dive back into the water. This oyster farmer from Gujan-Maistre (Gironde) has been trying since Wednesday to assess the “irrecoverable” losses of his farm in the days before the New Year. After “several cases of collective food poisoning”, the prefect of the Gironde took it upon himself to “temporarily ban fishing, collecting and marketing activities intended for human consumption of shellfish from the Arcachon basin, including Banc d’Arguin.”

“This is a serious blow for the profession,” Maxim emphasizes. “Especially since the closure due to norovirus,” he explains, “means a break in marketing for at least 28 days.” A significant shortage for breeders counting on the holidays at the end of the year. The growers say they are “victims of an oversaturation of sewage and stormwater networks” following severe weather in the autumn which causes “overflows into the natural environment”, contaminating breeding sites.

For oyster farmers in the Arcachon basin, 2023 will be a double punishment. “Just two months ago we experienced hurricanes that destroyed a large part of the Banque d’Arguin parks,” recalls Maxime Kheloufi. “It’s a lot of bad news,” sums up the thirty-year-old, pointing to the impact of global warming on the disasters affecting his profession. “Of course, in a few days the oyster will eliminate the virus and it will be edible again,” he reassures. “But we must take long-term solutions to prevent these extreme events from developing further.”