the prefecture prohibits “the fishing, harvesting and marketing of all shellfish from the Arcachon basin and the Banc d’Arguin”

As of Wednesday, “lots of shellfish harvested or fished in these areas must be withdrawn from sale,” specifies the prefecture.

The prefect of Gironde announced Wednesday December 27 in a press release sent to franceinfo “the temporary ban on fishing, harvesting and marketing for consumption of all shellfish from the Arcachon Basin and the Banc d’Arguin”. This follows several cases “collective food poisoning infections” which “have been brought to the attention of the services responsible for health safety”.

The Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Health Agency has indeed noted a “increase in emergency visits for gastrointestinal symptoms linked to the same food origin (food poisoning and collective food poisoning) on ​​December 25 and 26, 2023”.

“Traceability investigations are underway but several reports indicate that oysters from the Arcachon Bay are involved”specifies the Gironde prefecture in its press release. “Analyses carried out on oysters farmed in the Arcachon basin confirm the presence of norovirus. The symptoms are those of acute gastroenteritis and no serious cases have been reported to date”we can also read in this document.

Ban also on recreational shellfish fishing

Also, “from Wednesday 27 December, batches of shellfish harvested or fished in these areas must be withdrawn from sale” And “People who have shellfish from these areas are asked not to consume them and to return them to the point of sale”. As for “recreational shellfish fishing”She “is in fact also prohibited”. The measure “will be lifted as soon as the health quality of the shellfish becomes fully satisfactory again”.

“Preventing contaminated oysters from ending up on consumers’ plates is the top priority for professionals, even though this has very serious economic consequences”reacts in a press release the Arcachon Aquitaine Regional Shellfish Committee following this ban.

“The lifting of this temporary measure will take place as soon as the health security conditions are met… but in the meantime who will pay the bill?”

The Arcachon Aquitaine regional shellfish farming committee

in a press release

The organization reminds that the norovirus “is not ‘naturally’ present in seawater”. “It is clear that the Arcachon Basin and, consequently, the oyster farming profession, are victims of the saturation of wastewater and rainwater networks, causing overflows into the natural environment and thus contaminating production areas”he laments.

This ban comes “two months after the storms which destroyed several hectares of oyster beds on the Banc d’Arguin”. “After the storms, a health crisis… an unprecedented economic crisis will affect the profession”, fears the Arcachon Aquitaine Regional Shellfish Culture Committee. The presence of norovirus had already caused a ban on the consumption of oysters for almost a month, in 2021, as well as the previous year, but during less sensitive periods for the profession.