French oyster farmers have taken to the streets of Paris to highlight a mystery virus that is devastating local production of the prized shellfish.

More than 300 oyster farmers took part in the protest to the draw attention to the disease, which has already killed at least 60% of baby oysters along the Mediterranean coast to Normandy over the past three years.

France’s agriculture minister, Bruno le Maire, has called for a high-level meeting to discus the implications of the disease.

Meanwhile, the oil spill approaching the Gulf of Mexico following the recent BP drilling disaster is expected to cause a hike in the wholesale price of oysters and shrimp in the US.

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board told officials in Washington DC yesterday that seafood from the area was safe for consumption despite the nearby oil spill.

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