ABSTRACT
Molluscan shellfish production is the main marine fishing and aquacultural activity in France. The economic and social importance of this activity has for a longtime been one of the basic economic forces in several regions such as Normandy, Britanny, Poitou-Charente and Languedoc-Roussillon. The unique feature in France is consumer preference for raw shellfish. The French wild shellfish production, except oysters and mussels, is aimed at South European markets, especially Spain and Italy. The French foreign trade balance, as far as shellfish are concerned, remains in the red. Mussels for the canning and processing industry are mainly shucked, deep-frozen imports from Asia, or preserves from the North of Europe. Imported shellfish from clean sources and classified as healthy are sent to storage and forwarding establishments, while imported shellfish classified unsanitary are sent to storage and depuration units. The shellfish after depuration must be kept in a proper physiological condition, by a maximum dissolved oxygen content in the water.
