The spill caused havoc along the mid-western coast of France in the vicinity of one of its busiest seaside resorts, La Baule, which caters for hundreds of thousands of French and international tourists each year. In addition to the trade of this major resort being seriously disrupted and a huge threat being caused to its lucrative tourist trade, the fishing industry, consisting of many different interests, was also devastated. Overall losses to the sea industry have been a grim reality for the many Bretons who rely on the fruits of the sea to earn a living. This stretch of coast has many oyster beds that were contaminated with oil and, as a result, many oyster farmers have gone out of business. So too have the freelance fishermen who rely on collecting cockles, mussels and clams at low tide, a precarious living at the best of times. The sea-salt industry, situated on the marshy land just inside the coast, was also threatened by the polluted water. However, the greatest impact has been for sea birds. Over 20 times more were killed than when the Amoco Cadiz sank in 1978 spilling 233,000 tonnes of oil. This is due to the fact that many more birds were wintering in the region at the time of the Erika's break-up.