BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - A ban on the harvest and sale of oysters from the Bay of Arcachon, one of France's prime shellfish-producing regions, was lifted after tests eased fears over safety, authorities said on Friday.
The regional office that supervises the oyster and mussel industry said two consecutive biological tests had shown the oysters posed no health problems and regional authorities lifted a ban that had been in place since last week.
The ban, at the height of the breeding season, was imposed after a series of health scares and remains in force for oysters from the Banc d'Arguin, a sand bank at the entrance to the Bay of Arcachon, which accounts for about 15 percent of the harvest.
Arcachon, which counts some 350 oyster producers employing around 1,000 workers, has suffered a series of problems in recent years with repeated bans due to safety concerns.
France produces about 110,000 tonnes of oysters a year. It is the world's fourth biggest producer after China, South Korea and Japan.
