Paper short abstract:

Through a study of Scandinavian policy documents on the invasive Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas), and with a special focus on ideas of place, belonging and movement, this paper explores how authorities navigate the tension between stopping an ecological threat and developing an economic resource.

Paper long abstract:

Invasive Alien Species represent a highly characteristic trait of the Anthropocene, namely the way different pieces of nature move and are moved from place to place and in relation to each other. A number of species defined as Invasive Aliens are harvested in areas where they are non-native. These species are both economically important and ecologically problematic at the same time, as well as being lively creatures in their own right, with their own ways of moving. In Europe, the Pacific oyster (Magallana/Crassostrea gigas) is one such species. Through a study of Scandinavian policy documents on the Pacific oyster and with a special focus on ideas of place, this paper explores how authorities navigate the tension between stopping an ecological threat and developing an economic resource. Since the status of the Pacific oyster changes from place to place, conceptions of place and belonging play an important part in this tension. They influence how the species is understood and valued, but also how the relation between the species and individuals of that species is conceived. Especially interesting is the concept of “merroir”. Merroir is for seafood what terroir is for wine - it describes the way in which the taste of the oyster is influenced by the locality where it grows. The concept of “merroir” challenges the idea that the species’ place of origin is more important than the origin of the individual, but also presents these individuals as “food”, rather than as living animals.