It’s far from being a comeback with fanfare. Under the Teste-de-Buch market hall, fishmongers praise hake or Arcachon sea bass but with the return of oysters from the Bassin. And for good reason, there are none this Friday morning on the stalls of this market, although at 9 a.m. the ban on shellfish since last December 27 was lifted. After collective poisonings attributed to norovirus and causing symptoms similar to those of gastroenteritis, marketing was suspended, a few days before New Year’s Day.
The tide was high on Thursday and many oyster farmers were not able to go out to reach their parks and offer their shellfish for sale this Friday, which they will do this weekend. But another reason is put forward under the market: customers no longer want to hear about oysters for a little while longer. They therefore risk being discreet for a few more weeks.
“We suffered a lot of bad publicity”
At the port of Larros, in Gujan-Mestras, along the tasting and takeaway huts, we actually come across more dog walkers than oyster buyers in need of their iodine doses. Only Routioutiou is open. Arnaud, a scaler, works there with a smile. “We have Arcachon oysters which are quietly in the tank and which are just waiting to be enjoyed with a good pâté,” he says, like a good trader. During the ban, we took oysters from Brittany to cope with what was happening. »
Apart from last year during which oyster farmers had a good month of January, it is typically a rather calm period after the peak holiday season. But the “snag” is that this year it was ruined economically by the ban.
At the oyster port of Meyran, in Gujan-Mestras, Kévin has resumed his activity in full force. He is supported by loyal customers who bombarded him with messages, he says, to find out if he would indeed offer his oysters for sale this Friday. “In the market, we know each other and customers trust us but it will be more difficult to reassure those who have been sick,” believes this oyster farmer who deplores that the profession has “suffered a lot of bad publicity”.
For oysters, “it will improve” with Valentine’s Day
For his part, Arnaud remains positive. While he agrees that some of the clientele, particularly if they have been intoxicated, will be cautious, he is counting above all on the prospect of the February holidays and the return of the sun: “this will improve, reservations will slowly resume . » Olivier Laban, president of regional shellfish farming committee of Arcachon-Cap Ferretis aiming for the date of February 14 since Valentine’s Day is “very promising for the sale of oysters and seafood in general”, he emphasizes.
Until then, the professional recognizes that consumers will need to be reassured after this crisis which has affected them first and foremost. To achieve this, oyster farmers intend to rely on the proximity allowed by direct sales (which the majority of the Gironde profession practices) and the support of a major communication campaign, supported by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The recovery could take a little time and until then, the producers hope for compensation commensurate with their damage. The committee speaks of losses which would amount to five million euros in gross margins.