Analysis of the French demand for oysters and mussels, within the European market

Shellfish farming is the most common and the most established activity of aquaculture in France and in EU15. Such as main suppliers of mussels and oysters, mariculture production makes up the referent market for bivalves molluscs, unlike most other aquatic species for which capture fisheries are prevalent. Moreover, the specificity of oyster cultivation is marked with respect to the French position which is both leader and almost self sufficient on the European market. The sustainable development of shellfish farming is analysed through a “demand-oriented-approach”. The field of the study covers trading and marketing issues as well as consumer analysis. The comparison between the mussel and the oyster market highlight some key differences, in terms of distribution network, identification of origin and products differentiation, consumer profiles and regions. This lead to examine deeply the ways of market segmentation in relation with the image of the product and the consumer expectations. Quantitative surveys, mainly consumer panels, are used over a 15 years period to attempt a dynamic approach of the “age” criteria (consumers’ life cycle and generation effect). This is completed by a qualitative analysis of consumer attitude towards shellfish and an overview of the current innovation process in the two sectors concerned.