The history of oyster farming
Since prehistory (Paleolithic era), oysters have been harvested for consumption. The shells were used as adornments or objects for daily life, notably as containers. Archaeologists have discovered shell mounds dating back several thousand years, evidence of significant oyster consumption.
Greek and Roman civilizations were no exception and extensively consumed the shellfish.
During the Gallo-Roman era (1st - 5th century AD), the flat oyster (Belon) was harvested along the coast and transported to Rome, where it was consumed and appreciated. The Romans called it « callibléphares », translating to « beautiful eyelids », referencing the edges of its shell. Despite Roman expertise in oyster farming, the flat oyster doesn't seem to have been cultivated during this period. Instead, wild flat oyster beds were exploited, a practice that continued abundantly into the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
It was in the 17th century that oyster cultivation seems to have emerged in France. Initially, it was carried out in the reservoirs of the salt marshes on the Atlantic coast, and later in specially constructed basins in the Marennes-Oléron region. The method involved collecting oyster seedlings from rocks or by dredging natural beds, then raising them in these basins.
The 18th century marked the end of the monetary role of salt, which had prevailed during the Middle Ages. The decline in the use of salt led to the liberation of vast areas of salt marshes along the Atlantic coast. Conchyliculture, especially oyster farming, flourished in these spaces formerly dedicated to salt production. However, the reliance on wild oyster seedlings collected from the sea persisted, leading to overexploitation of natural beds and relative depletion in several areas. By the 1850s, the exploitation of French oyster beds was restricted, even prohibited.
During the Second Empire, oysters gained popularity. On July 4, 1853, a decree imposed regulations for dredging, limiting it from September 1st to April 30th and from sunrise to sunset.
To overcome the decrease in flat oyster seedling beds and the bans on exploitation, the idea of retrieving seedlings from submerged stakes emerged in France: the method of collecting on collectors was born.
Faced with the scarcity of flat oysters, the inhabitants of Arcachon began importing Portuguese oysters (Crassostrea angulata) from as early as 1860. By coincidence, this species was also present in French waters and started being cultivated there. History recalls that a ship, en route to Arcachon with a load of Portuguese oysters, unloaded its cargo in the Gironde estuary to escape a storm.
This robust species grew rapidly, overshadowing the flat oyster along the Atlantic coast. By the 1900s, approximately one-third of the production consisted of flat oysters, while two-thirds were Portuguese oysters.
The 1920s were marked by massive losses of flat oysters, pushing them to the brink of extinction. Originally localized in the southwest, the Portuguese oyster was then introduced to all production basins. By the 1960s, Portuguese oysters accounted for about 80% of the production, with flat oysters making up only 20%.
However, the 1970s witnessed an epidemic that decimated the Portuguese oysters, causing their disappearance from French shores. The introduction of the Japanese Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas (Crassostrea gigas), after this epidemic marked the beginning of cultivating Pacific cupped oysters in France. Today, the cupped oyster is the most widely cultivated variety in France and worldwide.
1No evidence seems to indicate oyster farming or exploitation. Historians agree that populations were content with gathering wild oysters.
