New Regulations Prevent French from Eating 150,000 Tons of Oysters a Year 0 11

Oyster producers in France are outraged: new administrative regulations require them to establish "hygiene points" on all small professional vessels.

The National Assembly cannot seem to calm down: lawmakers have decided to eliminate "administrative violations." The new decree mandates that oyster farms equip all vessels shorter than 12 meters with a toilet and a sink.

The new decree has ignited passions: Breton oyster producers have called it a "complete absurdity" and are outraged by this pile of administrative rules and red tape that they constantly face. We are talking about vessels that go to sea for just a few hours.

This new "standard" undermines the morale of industry specialists who were just beginning to recover after the crisis related to the death of oysters and the drop in sales.

French oysters (huître) are an integral part of the cuisine of the coastal regions of France in the west and north of the country. France is the number one consumer and exporter of oysters in Europe, producing 150,000 tons of oysters a year.

It is said that King Henry IV (1553-1610) would eat 300 oysters at a time. His grandson, Louis XIV, had them delivered fresh daily to Versailles or wherever he was, and it is known that he would eat six dozen oysters at once. French philosopher Diderot and writer and philosopher Voltaire ate them for inspiration, as did Napoleon Bonaparte before going into battle. Casanova, the 18th-century lover, would typically have breakfast with 50 oysters.

To this day, the French still adore this seafood delicacy: it is a favorite dish among the French during Christmas and New Year. About half of all oysters in France will be consumed between these two holiday dates.

98% of oysters are convex in shape, but they can also be flat (called plats) and are much more expensive. They are ranked by size by number: from 0 to 5 for cup-shaped oysters and from 000 (the largest) to 6 (the smallest) for flat ones. Convex oysters are designated as "fine" or "speciales," indicating the amount of meat, with speciales being the meatiest.