Ecluse à poissons à Saint-Denis-d'Oléron

Practiced in a variety of forms, this age-old art took on a particular importance on the island of Oléron, where there were over 200 locks in the 1870s.

Shaped like a horseshoe opening onto the coast, these locks hold back the fish as the tide ebbs.

Each of them is operated by six or seven owners, who share the concession on the maritime domain on fishing days. These constructions are fragile; the sediment, oysters and mussels that settle in them are essential to their solidity.

Emblematic of the northern coastline, from La Brée to Dolus d'Oléron, the 17 fisheries operating in Oléron are unique on the Atlantic coast.

It's at low tide, when the water submerges the wall, that the operation of a lock is at its most spectacular.