The beaches have been closed to the public while firemen and staff at the local council are drafted in to clear the debris from tourist spots including glitzy Saint Tropez, more often associated with superyachts and celebrities.
The Tunisian and Cypriot cargo ships collided on October 7 puncturing one of the fuel tanks and causing a spillage more than 20 kilometres long and several hundred metres wide.
More than a hundred people including nearly 20 volunteers were brought in on Thursday to help clean beaches in the towns Ramatuelle, Saint Tropez et Sainte Maxime.
According to the government official responsible for security in the Var district, Jean-Luc Videlaine, the clean-up operation could last two weeks.
"Experience proves that these anti-pollution operations must be carried out meticulously and cautiously," he said.
More of the smaller lumps of fuel, much of it entangled in seaweed, could wash up in the coming days, he said.
Oil spills can damage plants and underwater ecosystems. And even if marine mammals escape the immediate effects, a spill can contaminate their food supply.
The mayor of Ramatuelle, whose beach is listed as a coastal site of special significance, said he had lodged a formal complaint with the local police to ensure the cost of the clean-up was born by the perpetrators.
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