Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: Philippe LOPEZ / AFP 21:43 p.m., December 29, 2023

Due to health problems, the prefectures of Calvados and Manche "temporarily" banned on Friday the consumption and marketing of oysters produced in certain coastal sectors of these two departments. Similar measures were taken this week for oysters in the Arcachon basin.

The prefectures of Calvados and Manche "temporarily" banned on Friday, due to health problems, the consumption and marketing of oysters produced in certain coastal sectors of these two departments. In Calvados, the production concerned is that coming from the Grandcamp-Maisy Est and Géfosse-Fontenay sectors, in the district of Bayeux. In the English Channel, the sector concerned is that of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, in the north-east of the Cotentin.

These bans are motivated by the same reasons that led the Gironde prefecture to take similar measures this week for oysters produced in the Arcachon basin, namely "cases of collective foodborne poisoning", explained the prefectures of Calvados and Manche in two separate statements. "The symptoms are those of acute gastroenteritis," they said.

Fishing and harvesting activities also suspended

"Traceability investigations and analyses carried out on farmed oysters indicate that contamination of oysters from" the targeted sectors in Calvados "is in question", according to the prefecture of this department. The prefect of Calvados also "temporarily prohibits fishing, harvesting and marketing activities intended for human consumption of shellfish from the above-mentioned areas". "Batches of shellfish harvested from these areas must be withdrawn from sale," the prefecture added.

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In its press release, it also asks "people who have shellfish from these areas not to consume them and to bring them back to the points of sale" and also stresses that "recreational shellfish fishing is also prohibited".

These prohibition measures "concern only the two sectors of Grandcamp-Maisy and Géfosse-Fontenay: no other production area in Calvados is concerned" and "these measures will be lifted as soon as the sanitary quality of shellfish has become fully satisfactory again", adds the prefecture. These temporary bans are a blow to oyster farmers, as the holiday season is one of the main times for oyster consumption.