Thau pond (illustration) – N. Bonzom / Maxele Presse
It is again possible to eat mussels from the Thau lagoon, in Hérault. On May 14, due to the detection of toxins, the prefecture temporarily suspended fishing, collecting and marketing shellfish from the Thau lagoon. Only oysters, which had not shown any contamination, were not affected by this ban.
On May 22, thanks to favorable analyzes, these measures were lifted. Only mussels were still under ban, awaiting a second favorable result. On May 28, “given the two favorable results of analyzes of lipophilic toxin research […] on Thau mussels, the prefect of Hérault decided […] the lifting of all restrictions ”on mussels in the Thau lagoon.
All the shellfish from the lagoon are therefore marketable and consumable. The Thau pond is regularly hit by this type of ban. In 2014 and 2016, for example, professionals were severely impacted as Christmas approached.