The British oyster has earned some bad press of late. A recent poll commissioned by the Save the Children charity reports oysters are the least liked food in the country with 47 percent of the 2,011 adults asked saying they wouldn’t eat the mollusk.
Simultaneously, a prime time TV documentary reminded audiences that, according to research published by the Food Standards Agency, three-quarters of U.K.-grown oysters contain norovirus.
Despite the negativity, the U.K. oyster trade continues to do well with demand and prices both ascending. The country’s production focuses on Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), which were introduced to U.K. waters by the government at the start of the last century to bridge the gap between supply and demand for the dwindling native flat oyster (Ostrea edulis).
In 2011-2012, U.K. producers harvested around 1,200 metric tons (MT) of Pacifics. Typically, two-thirds of these are exported, with France far and away the No.1 destination market. However, production is expected to have fallen slightly in the past year in line with mortalities caused by minor outbreaks of the OsHV-1 (Oyster Herpes virus type 1) in southern growing areas.
Fortunately, containment has been swift and most stocks remain unaffected. But producers expect the overall supply to remain tight throughout 2013.
This situation has resulted in increased prices. A year ago, the average wholesale price for U.K. Pacifics stood at around GBP 0.25 (USD 0.39, EUR 0.29) each, and they retailed at around GBP 0.80 (USD 1.24, EUR 0.94), but most buyers have probably seen these prices increase between 10 and 20 percent, according to one London trader.
As a result, the total economic contribution as gross value added, including indirect and induced effects, can be expected to be a little higher than the GBP 10.1 million (USD 15.7 million, EUR 11.8 million) reported by the sector for 2011-2012. This value does not include seed sold by hatcheries and spat collectors to third-party growers, which has increased significantly in the last year in line with the opening of new markets.
While oysters have increased in popularity in the domestic market, international demand is the key driver for production. The industry has particularly benefited from the mass mortalities caused by the OsHV-1 that arrived in France in 2008 and proceeded to decimate stocks.
French production is currently around 80,000 MT, compared with its annual pre-outbreak level of 130,000 MT. In line with this slump, prices in the market have climbed between 30 and 40 percent.
The general feeling among French farmers is that the virus is an unwanted but permanent guest and hatcheries are optimistic they will soon get on top of the situation and produce oysters with high survival rates.
Reports coming out of Arachon Bay, which traditionally produces as much as 70 percent of the country’s oysters, suggest production is already starting to increase. U.K. oyster producers should therefore prepare themselves for this situation and expect to see prices soften in the medium-term, says the trader.
