Marshes and Fier d'Ars

The first salt marshes appeared on the island of Ré in the 14th century, with the work carried out by religious orders. At the beginning of the 15th century, sedimentation enabled the marshes to be extended, particularly around Loix and Ars-en-Ré. The salt trade prospered until the end of the 19th century, but increased competition, particularly from Brittany, Spain and Portugal, led to a fall in prices. At this time, some marshes were abandoned and turned into oyster beds. A syndicate was set up to support the salt marsh farmers, particularly in terms of channel maintenance. In the 20th century, the salt marsh farmers became owners of their salt marshes and grouped together to sell their products. In 1911, a salt production protection committee was formed to organise marketing, with storage sheds and five salt marshes in the port of Ars-en-Ré. Then, in 1967, a central building was built to house the harvests, with a capacity of 7,000 tonnes of salt.
Today, the cooperative brings together nearly 70 salt producers, while around fifteen remain independent.