Shellfish farming and coastal zone management (CZM) development in the Marennes-Oleron Bay and Charentais Sounds (Charente Maritime, France): A review of recent developments

• Main Authors: Goulletquer, Philippe, Le Moine, Olivier
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Kluwer 2002
• Subjects: Stepwise model of agreement; Environment aquaculture management; Conservation; Coastal zone management; Charentais Sounds; Bay of Marennes Oleron; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/481/170.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023975418669; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/481/

France is currently one of the leading shellfish production countries in Europe, harvesting more than 150,000 metric tons of the Pacific cupped oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and 60,000 tons of mussels (Mytilus edulis and M. galloprocincialis) each year. Among rearing areas, the Charentais Sounds and the Marennes-Oleron Bay rank first in Europe, with an annual production of 40,000 and 15,000 tons of oysters and mussels respectively. More than a third of French production is marketed from the Marennes-Oleron area. As natural C. gigas and M. edulis spatfall is limited to the Atlantic coast, the Marennes-Oleron Bay and the Charentais Sounds play a critical role nationally, representing more than half of French oyster and mussel spat production. The stocking biomass in this area was recently estimated at 125,000 and 20,000 tons of oysters and mussels respectively. This biomass is deployed over 4,000 ha of leasing grounds along the coastal area and 3,000 ha of wetlands (oyster ponds), which are environmentally sensitive and subject to numerous recent regulations. Although a traditional, century-old activity, the shellfish industry now has to address various new internal and external constraints affecting overall economic yield and sustainability. These include the management of freshwater inputs into the coastal area, impacted at the watershed level by agriculture from a qualitative and quantitative point of view (e.g. irrigation activity). Moreover, the Charentais Sounds need to remain competitive on the open market with other French and European production sites, whereas its biological yield remains one of the lowest in France. This has prompted the industry to optimize spatial distribution, restructure current leasing grounds and assess new management practices as well as new rearing techniques (offshore, long lines), which have led to conflicts over available space. In addition to technical constraints, local, national and European regulations have increased significantly. The coastal law, water law, bird directives, ...