OYSTER farmer Doug Le Masurier has called on the States to act to ensure that there are reliable sea links to St Malo as he has lost business following the cancellation of Emeraude Ferries services.

Mr Le Masurier said his company, La Rocque Fisheries, had consignments booked to be carried with Emeraude for the French market for Christmas that have now had to be cancelled.

Yesterday doubts emerged about the future of Emeraude after parent company Sogestran ordered the cancellation of all sailings to St Malo until 20 December.

Mr Le Masurier said there had been too much competition on the St Malo route and believes that the States need to act so that a single carrier operates in controlled circumstances.

Mr Le Masurier said that the French oyster market at Christmas was ‘huge’, with up to 70,000 tons of oysters ordered.

‘We have a tiny slice of that and customers order months in advance.

When you tell them you have to cancel because you don’t have a boat to deliver, they are understandably not very happy,’ he said.