Hello friends!
For this week’s newsletter, meet this month’s featured water people: Tristan Macquet and Benjamin Denjean.
Operating from France’s Atlantic coast to its southern Mediterranean shores, the pair founded Le Paysan Marin, a non-profit promoting regenerative aquaculture and diversified marine farming. Combining training, science and citizen-backed financing, they help farmers adapt to climate change and generate new income streams.
I met the pair when they organized a trip to China to visit the country’s extensive sea farms and ocean institutes, from Xiamen’s fin fish pens in the south to the eastern kelp farms of Qingdao. They were kind enough to invite me along as an observer. Read along for their stories from the trip and what they think Europe can learn from China’s ingenuity. Plus, their original oyster burger recipe at the end.
Alexandra: Can you share about your work with Le Paysan Marin and Respect Ocean, and how that work brought you to China?
Tristan: Both of us have a history in China before we teamed up on Le Paysan Marin. We graduated and worked here in agro-ecology and ecological restoration. When we went back to France and dived into aquaculture, China kept popping up.
We saw a knowledge gap. In Europe, we are pushing for a seaweed sector and multi-trophic aquaculture, but when we asked how to actually transform that at scale, we realized we didn’t know how the world’s biggest market - China - was doing it. We wanted to organize this study trip to normalize the French-China connection that was severed during the “Zero Covid” policy. We want to see for ourselves and bring back that knowledge to researchers and the private sector.
Benjamin: It’s a tale of opportunities. This silo situation is everywhere in the marine field. We wanted to be bridge makers between people who want sustainable practices but aren’t talking to each other. RespectOcean is a well-recognized association in France whose purpose is to create a common voice for sustainable ocean actors. By connecting with them, we met Raphaëla Le Gouvello, the founder and honorary president, and we realized we were all looking for similar opportunities in China. That became our package and our excuse to come back and grow those ties.
Alexandra: You visited an oyster farm that grew as many oysters as all of Portugal in one year. What are some lessons that Europe or the Americas could learn from Chinese aquaculture?
Benjamin: There is a mind shift in how you design the use of maritime space. In China, they center it around what grows simply. They start with the lowest trophic level which is algae. When it gets too dense, they diversify with shellfish, then fish. In Europe, we look at a tiny prototype for years to make sure nothing goes wrong before we scale. China says, “I’m going to do it, see if it works and then try to understand why.”
Also, the community-owned business model is really strong in China. Some are fully village-owned, while others have the municipality acting as rangers or infrastructure providers. In Europe, a city often cannot be a producer due to competitive rules. We need to question that because community management is a good way to align the needs of the bay, the worker and the economy.
Alexandra: We saw a different approach to restoration, too. One of the largest offshore fish companies in China gave their leases to seaweed farmers to grow seagrass.
Tristan: It’s an inspiring full-circle approach. In France or the US, you often have the “good environmentalists” versus the “bad fishermen.” In China, we saw everyone acting as managers and wardens of the ecosystem. They understand that science-based restoration brings back the biodiversity their industry needs to survive.
What struck us was the scale. In France, we do it almost square meter by square meter. Here, they have the capacity to do hectares and hectares. Even if they have mortality, they are putting the tools in place to do restoration at the scale we actually need right now.
Alexandra: Benjamin, your name Le Paysan Marin comes from the idea of a landscape or seascape manager. Does that tie into the restoration mindset?
Benjamin: Exactly. Having sea farmers do restoration is a mind shift - you are managing a seascape. But you do need someone to pay for that restoration. In China, seagrass restoration has a market because of the government.
Tristan: When they over-crowded Sanggou Bay we visited together with kelp, they had production losses. So they reduced the density and - counter-intuitively - they got better results and less mortality.
We have the same reaction on the individual level in France with oysters. When we have 90% mortality, the reaction of one oyster farm is to put more spat in. But overall, it creates overproduction and weakens the market. I think this is where the local government could have a better input in a place like France, to help manage these crashes.
Alexandra: What about the move offshore in France?
Benjamin: There is a big will to try it out and the government is pushing industrial players to go there. But we don’t have first-hand data yet on if it’s profitable. There is a potential national plan to combine aquaculture with offshore wind turbines.
Tristan: Even if they solve the technical challenges of typhoons, large swells and infrastructure, it won’t replace the thousands of jobs provided by inshore bay farming.
Alexandra: Are there species you saw—like abalone or sea cucumber—that you think should be growing in France?
Tristan: We are much more cautious in France about hybridizing or bringing in non-native species. But sea cucumbers are interesting. There is a strong push in the Mediterranean and Atlantic to start with local varieties for the Asian export market.
Alexandra: Do you think the French consumer will ever start eating sea cucumbers?
Benjamin: No way! We also believe it will be a long time before seaweed is integrated, too.
In France, we see potential in re-perceiving shellfish. We need to look at new ways of processing oysters - maybe as a nutritional paste or a pill - rather than just “shucking them raw at Christmas.”
Alexandra: So what is your favorite way to eat an oyster?
Tristan: The Oyster Burger. We are pushing this in France because it’s a low-impact protein. We want to get it out of its snobbish shell. If we can replace even a tiny fraction of chicken or fish with this protein, that’s great.
Alexandra: And what is your favorite way to play in the water?
Benjamin: Sailing, which is a family tradition and free-diving. It’s the most frugal way to meet nature.
Tristan: I live on an island now, and my kids and I have taken up surfing. I tell my children: the waves will keep coming, you can’t stop them, so you need to learn how to ride them.
Le Paysan Marin Oyster Burger
Ingredients
12–24 large oysters (size No. 1, over 150 g), ideally 2–3 oysters per burger
8 mini burger buns
Fresh goat cheese
20 g butter
5 cl Cognac (optional)
100 g arugula
Mayonnaise
Pickled salicornia (optional, as a pickle garnish)
Preparation
Open the oysters and remove the meat from the shells. Pat them dry if needed.
In a skillet, melt the butter and quickly sear the oysters for a short time until lightly golden.
If desired, add the Cognac and flambé the oysters. Set the oysters aside.
In the same skillet, toast each half of the burger buns until golden.
Assembly
Slice the goat cheese.
Spread a little mayonnaise on the buns. Add some arugula, a slice of cheese, 2–3 seared oysters, and a few pickled salicornia if using. Close the burger.
Place in a very hot oven for about 30 seconds, just to warm through. Serve immediately.
Check out Le Paysan Marin’s website here and follow along their Discord community here.
Previous “Waterpeople” include:
Thanks for reading and as always… stay salty!
Alexandra