This is, once again, a hard blow for the shellfish producers of the Thau pond. On Friday, the Hérault prefecture announced a ban on the harvesting and marketing of mussels and clams from the basin, due to the presence of toxins, making them unfit for consumption. This measure, on the other hand, does not concern oysters and snails, which can be consumed without restrictions.
The toxins identified in mussels and clams, brought by microscopic plants, phytoplankton, cannot be destroyed by cooking. “This temporary measure will be lifted as soon as the health security conditions are met for a reopening of the production areas”, indicated the state services.
On December 30, 2022, the same ban hit oysters, mussels and clams from Thau. On January 19, the State ended the ban on the harvesting and marketing of oysters. But these measures had been maintained for mussels and clams, before being completely lifted on March 3. Put in place just before New Year’s Eve on December 31, these measures caused a shortfall of 6 million euros for the shellfish farmers of Thau, had learned 20 minutesin January.