CHAPTER 21
Geomatics for the Management of Oyster Culture Leases and
Production
J. Populus, L. Loubersac, J. Prou, M. Kerdreux, and O. Lemoine
ABSTRACT: The coastal zone of Charente-Maritime in France has a leading position
in oyster culture production. Yet it is being jeopardized by a number of problems such
as overstocking, inadequate distribution of culture types, wild stock in excess, and
strong siltation processes. Some of these problems result from a lack of communication
and realization within the professional community, others due to obsolete management
tools. The introduction of geomatics is believed to help provide some answers, besides
alleviating the classical task of lease management. This chapter shows how the system
was built, the spatial data geo-referenced and linked to administrative data. Examples
of queries on the spatial data base reveal some otherwise invisible facts and allow
prioritization of management decisions. The system also acts as a communication tool
between the actors, i.e. the professionals, the local authorities and the research sector.
Perpectives on further uses are given.
Introduction
Heral (1986) described the relationship between annual productions and oyster biomass
over one century. He concluded that the observed oyster growth decrease was due to
overstocking that limited the carrying capacity of the bay. Moreover, large tidal flats do
offer big opportunities for shellfish cultivation but suffer from high biodeposition rates
(Sornin, 1983). On this basis, spatial management of oyster culture seems to be a key
factor for the future « sustainable development of the oyster industry ». In relation to
the administration in charge of this management (Affaires Maritimes), IFREMER
developed a GIS in order to provide a useful tool for integration of different spatial
features such as bathymetry, leasing ground location, sediment types, regulations,
261
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-Information Systems, 261–274.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
Geomatics for the Management of Oyster Culture Leases and
Production
J. Populus, L. Loubersac, J. Prou, M. Kerdreux, and O. Lemoine
ABSTRACT: The coastal zone of Charente-Maritime in France has a leading position
in oyster culture production. Yet it is being jeopardized by a number of problems such
as overstocking, inadequate distribution of culture types, wild stock in excess, and
strong siltation processes. Some of these problems result from a lack of communication
and realization within the professional community, others due to obsolete management
tools. The introduction of geomatics is believed to help provide some answers, besides
alleviating the classical task of lease management. This chapter shows how the system
was built, the spatial data geo-referenced and linked to administrative data. Examples
of queries on the spatial data base reveal some otherwise invisible facts and allow
prioritization of management decisions. The system also acts as a communication tool
between the actors, i.e. the professionals, the local authorities and the research sector.
Perpectives on further uses are given.
Introduction
Heral (1986) described the relationship between annual productions and oyster biomass
over one century. He concluded that the observed oyster growth decrease was due to
overstocking that limited the carrying capacity of the bay. Moreover, large tidal flats do
offer big opportunities for shellfish cultivation but suffer from high biodeposition rates
(Sornin, 1983). On this basis, spatial management of oyster culture seems to be a key
factor for the future « sustainable development of the oyster industry ». In relation to
the administration in charge of this management (Affaires Maritimes), IFREMER
developed a GIS in order to provide a useful tool for integration of different spatial
features such as bathymetry, leasing ground location, sediment types, regulations,
261
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-Information Systems, 261–274.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.