2020 - 2023 : ARCHE, a trans-regional project for the Amélioration de la ReproduCtion en vue de la restauration chez l'Huître platE.

Oyster farming has historically undergone, in France as in many other countries, a succession of phases of development, stock exploitation or disease outbreaks. 

The oyster is the flagship product of French shellfish farming, both historically, economically and socially. The oyster, represented today mainly by the species Crassostrea gigas, constitutes the most important market of French shellfish farming, and to a lesser extent, by the flat oyster, Ostrea edulis. 

In the 1970s, the development of oyster farming benefited from technological contributions and the successful import of Crassostrea gigas. The history of French oyster farming has, however, known a succession of successes and failures which highlight the fragility of shellfish farming in the face of overexploitation of stocks and the appearance of diseases.

Coping with overexploitation of stocks and disease outbreaks

Our current knowledge of the oyster's reproductive cycle is based on studies conducted in the 1970s. Since then, with a few exceptions in the years 2000 to 2010, our knowledge has changed very little. The lack of molecular and proteomic data on the reproduction of Ostrea edulis is a hindrance to the development of its production in hatcheries, even though this control of the reproductive cycle is the very basis of the production system of any aquaculture species.

ARCHE for the reconstitution of flat oyster beds

The ARCHE project has several objectives:

• Optimization of routine work in a controlled environment ;
  • Improved maturation of flat oyster spawners through an optimized diet.
  • Synchronisation of the gametogenesis of the flat oyster under controlled conditions via different inducers
  • Synchronisation of egg laying and emission
• Increase in the families of interest produced of an emblematic species of our coasts with a view to sustainable development and diversification of shellfish production companies.
  • Restoration of natural shoals
  • Creation of reef structures and environmental monitoring

The ARCHE project has a budget of almost 1.5 M€ with a co-financing from the EMFF (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund - Measure 47 Innovation in Aquaculture) of 75%, i.e. 900 k€.

The ARCHE project started on 01 April 2020, for a duration of 36 months.

Partners