Yvonnick Jégat, advocate for life

Winners of 17 awards at the Concours Général Agricole, Maison Jégat’s naturally farmed oysters are renowned for their flavor—but that’s not all. Yvonnick Jégat, the first oyster farmer certified under the “Valeurs Parc Naturel Régional” program, carries on a long-standing family tradition of expertise in Arradon. This passionate oyster farmer has made the preservation of the flat oyster and respect for all living things the cornerstones of his craft. His expertise and commitment also make him, through the Regional Shellfish Farming Committee, a key partner for the 2027 edition of Morbihan Gulf Week, where shellfish farming will take center stage.

In the Jégat family, oyster farming has been passed down from father to son for three generations. Yvonnick, however, tried his hand at a completely different career—in Paris, no less—but his roots, the sea, the Gulf of Morbihan, and his own values proved stronger.

At age 24, he joined his father in the family business, founded in 1925. This decision was not driven solely by the appeal of this demanding profession, which is particularly subject to the vagaries of the weather and the environment. The young man wanted to preserve and develop an ancestral craft: traditional production, directly on the seabed, using spat born at sea. It is a demanding practice that requires patience, observation, and the ability to adapt.


The Forgotten Oyster

Today, as the head of a 45-hectare oyster farm located between Île d’Arz, Arradon, and Quiberon Bay, Yvonnick Jégat produces oysters that have won numerous awards and are renowned for their quality. But what sets him apart most is undoubtedly his fight to preserve the flat oyster.

Overfished and plagued by parasites, the flat oyster—a species native to the Gulf of Morbihan and the French coast—nearly went extinct in the late 1970s. It was then replaced by the Asian cupped oyster, which grows faster, is less fragile, and is now found in every oyster farm in the region. The Jégat family is no exception to this rule, but, along with his father, Yvonnick has always sought to preserve this historic oyster. “This is the oyster our grandparents and parents used to eat. Some producers, including my father, fought hard to save this oyster. Today it accounts for only 1.5 to 1.8% of total French production, but it’s essential to preserve it.”

Caring for life, in the broadest sense

Yvonnick Jégat’s commitment extends beyond his own farm. He brings together six other oyster farmers who share his values within GOMEX (Groupement Ostréicole MORBIHANNAIS d'Exploitation en Commun) and does not hesitate to take a stand against oysters from hatcheries, particularly triploids: a more profitable farming method, but one that comes at the expense of genetic diversity and product quality. 

In short, this 59-year-old native of Morbihan champions his values with infectious passion and hopes that the next generation will carry the torch. In the meantime, he continues his fight, because preserving traditional farming methods means caring for life in the broadest sense.