The pink salt of Aigues-Mortes, Camargue - France
The salt marshes of Aigues-Mortes are devoted to the production of quality sea-salt, essentially destined for the food trade.
The water pink colouring is due to the proliferation of the micro-organisms of a microscopic algae variety called "Dunaliella salina".
On the salt marshes also the exploitation of the Artemia Salina complements the salt producing activities. Artemia salina is a species of brine shrimp – aquatic crustaceans. It is a very old species that does not appear to have changed in 100 million years and is native to saline lakes, ponds and temporary waters in the Mediterranean regions of Southern Europe, Anatolia and Northern Africa..
The Camargue is a region where evaporation is the most intense and rainfall the weakest.
The salt production in Aigues-Mortes goes back to Antiquity. Peccius, a Roman engineer at the start of the Christian Era, was put in charge of organising salt production.
In 1856, the different salt marsh owners associated to found the Salins du Midi (Saltworks of the South).
Each year Aigues-Mortes produces 500,000 tons of salt, making it a worldwide benchmark.
With the development of the chemical industry, salt production became one of the biggest activities in the Camargue. Chlorine, soda and salt extracts enter into the composition of many chemical and pharmaceutical products. .
The pink salt of Aigues-Mortes, Camargue - France
The salt marshes of Aigues-Mortes are devoted to the production of quality sea-salt, essentially destined for the food trade.
The water pink colouring is due to the proliferation of the micro-organisms of a microscopic algae variety called "Dunaliella salina".
On the salt marshes also the exploitation of the Artemia Salina complements the salt producing activities. Artemia salina is a species of brine shrimp – aquatic crustaceans. It is a very old species that does not appear to have changed in 100 million years and is native to saline lakes, ponds and temporary waters in the Mediterranean regions of Southern Europe, Anatolia and Northern Africa..
The Camargue is a region where evaporation is the most intense and rainfall the weakest.
The salt production in Aigues-Mortes goes back to Antiquity. Peccius, a Roman engineer at the start of the Christian Era, was put in charge of organising salt production.
In 1856, the different salt marsh owners associated to found the Salins du Midi (Saltworks of the South).
Each year Aigues-Mortes produces 500,000 tons of salt, making it a worldwide benchmark.
With the development of the chemical industry, salt production became one of the biggest activities in the Camargue. Chlorine, soda and salt extracts enter into the composition of many chemical and pharmaceutical products. .