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The Origin of Mussel farming in Le Vivier sur Mer

According to legend, the origin of bouchots is attributed to an Irishman who was shipwrecked on the Charente coast in 1235. Sole survivor of this disaster, Patrick Walton stretched out nets at low tide to catch fish. He noticed that mussels attached themselves to the wooden stakes on which the nets were stretched. He then had the idea to plant stakes in a line to harvest mussels: the first "bouchot" was born.

For a long time, this technique was only used on the Atlantic coast of France, the region in which seed mussels attach themselves naturally to the stakes.

After the 2nd World War, the people of Le Vivier sur Mer tried mussel farming using a variety of methods (on wooden planks or rocks) but the results were unsatisfactory.

Mussel farming began in Mont St Michel Bay in 1954. This new activity developed quickly thanks to the technique of growing mussels on bouchots and to the favourable local conditions. Today, the joint port of Le Viver sur Mer/Cherrueix is the premier mussel port in France.	(bouchots in Mont Saint Michel bay)

Mussel Farming today in Mont St Michel Bay

Curiously, mussels do not reproduce in Mont St Michel Bay. For mussel farming to develop it was necessary to await the development of modern techniques of attracting seed mussels and the know-how of the people from the Charente region.

Today there are some 271 kms of bouchots producing an annual harvest of between 10,000 and 12,000 tonnes and employing around 300 people.

(stretching out ropes of seed mussels)

(fixing ropes of mussels to the bouchots)

(harvesting mussels in summer - A. Mauxion)	(the first amphibious boat)

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