| France is presently one of the leading countries in Europe for shellfish production with 152,000 metric tonnes of the Pacific cupped oyster C. gigas, 2,500 tonnes of flat oyster O. edulis, and more than 60,000 tonnes of mussels M. edulis and M. galloprovincialis. Moreover, species like the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera in French Polynesia, and on the Atlantic coastline the scallop Pecten maximus and the Manila clam Tapes philippinarum contribute significantly to the overall landings. . Since traditional rearing areas are now almost overloaded, new management practices are currently under review to optimise and develop shellfish culture. Besides the products resulting from genetic research (e.g. triploids, tetraploids and disease resistant strains),... |
