Oyster
The largest oyster-producing body of water in the United States is Chesapeake Bay, although these beds have decreased in number due to overfishing and pollution. Willapa Bay in Washington produces more oysters than any other estuary in the US. Other large oyster farming areas in the US include the bays and estuaries along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Apalachicola, Florida in the east to Galveston, Texas in the west. Large beds of edible oysters are also found in Japan and Australia. In 2005, China accounted for 80% of the global oyster harvest. Within Europe, France remained the industry leader.
Étaules, Charente-Maritime
186 establishments were identified in the commune by INSEE on 31 December 2010 - mostly very small businesses: 30.6% with from 1-9 employees and only 4.3% over 10 employees. The sectors of oyster farming and agriculture remain important in the community, the two of them having 23.7% of employees. Thirty oyster farms are located in Etaules, mostly in the two ports of Les Grandes Roches and Orivol who operate all the production, refining, and shipping of oysters from the Marennes-Oléron basin.