The shuckling must be done carefully in order to avoid spilling the oyster’s juices, which are called “liquor.” These juices are vital to preserving the flavor of the oyster.
The local environment and economy depends on these small delicacies! Arcachon Bay is filled with oyster farming villages and even has a program called “Union des Bateliers” for those ages eight and older to learn about, and even participate in, the oyster farming process. Archachon Bay is filled with lots of fishing tourism. Now let’s learn about how oysters are collected!
Harvesting oysters can be a long process--ranging two to three years! This process begins at the larvae stage of oysters, also known as spat collection. During this time, farmers will lay out ropes, shells, or mesh in the spring or summer in order to have oyster larvae settle onto them. After collecting, farmers will allow the young oysters to grow in shallow waters onto nursery tables for around 6-12 months. During this time, farmers must upkeep the nursery to ensure the oysters are developing healthily.
After they have reached a certain size, roughly at their teenage or juvenile stage, they will be moved from the shallow waters into the tidal oyster beds in the bay. Throughout their times of growth, the oysters will feed on plankton and minerals from the water. The oysters then will grow for another one to two years until collected once they reach market size. That is when they can be harvested, cleaned, sorted, and transported, all within a day or so.
The oyster’s diet depends entirely on the environment and their local ecosystem.
