Not at a snail's pace

The laws of supply and demand at work:

PARIS - Gourmets will have to dig deeper into their pockets if they want to be served snails after an insufficient 2008 harvest, the French canning and preservation industry federation said Friday.

The main reason for the drop is a shortfall from countries in central and southeastern Europe where collecting snails is less and less popular as those countries' economies develop rapidly, a FIAC statement said.

In a bid to motivate potential gatherers in countries which have recently joined the European Union, prices paid for live snails have gone up sharply.