Oyster farms under tight security in France as people prepare New Year delicacy

Oyster farms in Brittany and the west of France are under surveillance with the approach of New Year, when half of all sales of the traditional end of year dish are made.

One oyster cage is worth up to €200 and, with demand at its highest for December 31, French police are on high alert for thefts including any between producers.

At the Arcachon basin in Gironde the Interior Ministry has announced a significant gendarme presence including helicopter patrols to protect producers from thefts:

It follows the losses producers saw at the start of 2024 when contaminated oysters led to a ban on their sale for several weeks.

Read more: Is it now safe to eat French oysters?

The ban, thought to have cost producers millions in lost earnings, was linked to water pollution and the presence of norovirus in the water as a result of drainage issues after unusually heavy rainfall.