Oyster farmers love thieves’ trap

After discarding large quantities of oysters, the Frenchman decided to take matters into his own hands. By placing a small patch in empty oyster shells, Christophe Ginot’s cultivation in southern France has escaped theft in recent years.

“It had a deterrent effect,” Ginot told Reuters.

Delicacies from the sea, to say the least, are profitable prey and are especially sought after during the Christmas and New Year holidays – even among clumsy thieves.

Christophe Ginot has his oysters in cages in the water and this was also where the thieves stole the oysters. To stop the thefts, Ginot decided he liked a mini trap—small pieces were placed in empty oyster shells and then glued back together.

The person who opened the oyster was later told that he had won the oyster for its weight and was asked to call a specific phone number. Anyone who heard from them could then be asked where to buy the oysters and if they were not delivered to Ginot, the police might be involved.

The Frenchman’s little stunt spread quickly and many oyster producers in the area began to follow suit. It seems to have paid off. In 2017, there were 19 oyster thefts in the area — and by 2020 it’s down to zero.