The supermarket chain, one of France's largest seafood buyers, will buy in around five tons of tilapia for JC David during the first year of the agreement.

Auchan and JC David see tilapia as a species of the future.

JC David Managing Director Herve Diers said he hopes to double tilapia smoking production in 2008 as he wins new business.

Growth is running at 10 percent, putting sales on track for €3.4 m ($4.5 million) by the end of 2007, Diers said.

The company’s new €1.5