| In France, Pacific oyster farming is mostly dependent on natural spat collection, which supplies more than half of the needs in juvenile oysters, the remaining part is provided by hatcheries. This activity has been undertaken since the second half of the nineteenth century, mostly in the Arcachon basin and in the pertuis charentais (Charente straits), which provides most of natural spat produced in France. Traditionally, Pacific oyster juveniles are harvested by oyster farmers, among which some are specialized. Specific collectors are settled in the intertidal zone during reproduction period (end of June to beginning of September). In Charente-Maritime, the spat collection strategies have underwent many changes, and are now quite diverse. The present study... |
