It is in summer that the oyster reproduces. The millions of eggs conceived during this period by each oyster are fertilized by the gametes released into the water to become larvae. Thanks to the collectors placed at sea in the parks, the larvae will find the perfect shelter to feed and develop in peace, they will stay there until they are 9 months old and will become what is called spat.
The oyster is then detached from its collector, this is the de-grinding. The collected spat is then bagged to distribute over the parks at sea and continue to develop.
The oyster is then placed in the breeding grounds. She will stay there two and a half. It will be rigorously controlled there by the oyster farmer, in relation to predators, the quality of growth and the quality of the water.
During these two years of growth and maturation, it will be regularly moved from park to park in order to take full advantage of the beneficial effects of marine currents and the tide. This is how the oyster farmer determines his quality as a fine or special oyster.
After their growth, the oysters are for the most part agglutinated in clusters, they are therefore loosened one by one using a thick blunt knife, called a demanchoir. The oysters are then sorted by size by hand or by machine by a grading machine.
The maturing in claire (shallow clay basin) allows the fine de claire and special de claire appellations. This practice is regulated by the inter-professional agreement which fixes the duration and density of ripening, i.e. 2 weeks from April 1 to October 31 for a density of 1 kg per m 2 and 3 weeks from November 1 on March 31 for a density of 3kg of oysters per m 2 . Refined in clear or not, it will be a matter of taste..
It is a covered or open-air basin filled with clean, settled and oxygenated seawater. The oysters are placed there in racks before being marketed. They finish their filtration work there by removing the silt and sand that could be inside their shells.
Avant d'être conditionnées, les huîtres sont soigneusement lavées à l'eau de mer au jet puis par un laveur
A label with a sanitary part and a commercial part must be affixed to the package. The sanitary part includes the sanitary number of the dispatch establishment approved by the veterinary services, as well as the name of the professional body accompanied by the legal mention, the date of dispatch and also the serial number of the label. for traceability.
For the commercial part, the information concerning the product must appear: the category, the size, the country of breeding, the minimum number, the net weight of the package as well as the information concerning the sender.
The oysters are neatly arranged with the rounded part down so that they can keep their water well and are well placed against each other. Little trick when we count them: we do it 5 by 5, or 3 oysters in one hand and 2 in the other.
Once well packaged, the oysters must not drink during transport, which is why we add a strapping and we strap everything well with a strap.
The packages are stored and filmed on pallets, to then be taken to the bus station, transport platform accompanied by a transport voucher, or transported directly by the oyster farmers by truck.