offshore mussel farming

Offshore Mussel FarmingRole of Research and Extension

Cyr CouturierResearch Scientist, Marine Institute

[email protected]

Macneill

About the Marine Institute

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

MT

1984

1986

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1990

1992

1994

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1998

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Capture

Culture

Environmental capacity problems in Spain & China

Global mussel production 1984-2004Annual growth of 50,000 tonnes

Globefish 2005

Canada

North American mussel marketCanadian production (fresh and frozen) increasesteadily in spite of constraints....however....

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

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60,000

1 2 3 4 5 6Year

Tonnes

Total

Canada

1992 1994 1996 1999 2000 2002 2004 2006

Source: ARA 1992, Tavel 1996, Mitchell 1998, IntraFish 2003, Gislason et al.

2006, Statscan 2008

2006 ~ 60,000 t

North American market less than 10% of European mussel market

In 2009, 55% of Canadian production was sold

domestically, 45% exported (US, Japan, other)

Canadian Fresh Mussel Exports by Country

United States

MarketsLocationCanadian mussel production

Canadian Mussel ProductionNewfoundland• 2,600 ha• 50 farmsPEI• 2,151 ha• >150 farmsNova Scotia• 2008 ha (?)• 116 farmsNew Brunswick• < 250 ha• <10 farmsQuebec• < 1,000 ha• < 10 farmsBritish Columbia• <100 t• < 10 farms

Totals: 8,000 ha - 24,000 t –400 farms, 2,000 employed (FT/PT) >$125 million to rural economy

500 km

Historical perspective on Atlantic musselIndustry developmentGeneric promotion in the 1990s enhanced marketsCombined with increases in production

To

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es

Canadian Mussel Production 1970-2005

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12,000

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Year Source FAO

Research Development Commercialization

70 75 80 85 90 95 00

PEI mussel promo

Trends in Mussel Production:• Year round supply of live or value-added mussels

• Consolidation of industry / vertically integrated companies

• New product development• Adoption of Codes of Practice• Exceeding international

standards of food safety / quality(potential for 3rd party certification)

• Argue that value of industry NOT increasing at sustainable rate

Farm gate prices stable in spite of increasedproduction costs

Gislason et al. 2006

Estimated costs

Of production

(source: various)

The RDC Continuum

An Historical Perspective on Aquaculture Research, Development & Commercialization

The “Continuum”

Research Development / Precommercial Commercial

• Duration of R, D, C phases vary, but generally decline along the continuum

• 5-10 years “research” common in new areas e.g., Norway, Iceland• The level of “risk” diminishes along the continuum (more certainty)• There is an ongoing “development” component (feedback)in commercial production in order to remain competitive

5-10 YEARS 4-5 YEARS 2-3 YEARS

An Historical Perspective on Aquaculture Development & Commercialization

The “Continuum”

• Initial research $$ are comparatively small e.g., mussels• Development & precommercialization $$ risky, NEED public /

private partnerships (PPP)• Ongoing development / research $$ are needed from PPP• Commercial production is strictly a private initiative ………R and D phase may take 15 years in many cases before a true industry is established,even in existing species like mussels

$$ $$$$$ $$$$$$

Research Development / Precommercial Commercial

Newfoundland Mussel Industry Production Trends & Government Support for R and D

Catalized by an Industry Association following

Strategic planning efforts

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Source: DFA

1985 1990 1995 2000

MI / NAIA LARVAL PROGRAM

NAIA / MI MUSSEL

ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

NAIA / MUN / MI ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM

ASP WORKING

CAPITAL

Farming methods

The Canadian Mussel AquacultureBusiness: Overview and Production StrategiesCyr Couturier, Marine Institute of Memorial University, March 2007

Macneill

Mussel farming

Continuous droppers

Single droppers

Open ocean, submerged longlines for shellfish – 1.5 km in length!

Open ocean submerged shellfish production:

Open ocean, surface longlines for shellfish –0.5 km in length!Headrope 15m below surface to avoid wave action and second set

Open ocean shellfish production:

Mussel harvesting & processing

Winter Harvesting PEI

Live holding

Product Types - Fresh

Macneill

Macneill

Product Types – Vacuum Packed / Frozen / MAP / Breaded / Smoked, Marinated, etc.

Secondary processing / Transformation secondaire (valeur ajouté)

Role of Research and Extension in Mussel Farming

Development

Research (experimentation):Operation designed to discover something; if applied will benefit industry

Extension:Information sharing, technology transfer, education & training in all aspects (markets, production, post-harvest, regulatory, etc.)

Examples of Industry Researchproduction related*:

• Seed supply• Larval and seed monitoring• Mussel health• Second set• Technology adaptation

* NOT intended to be comprehensive

Research and ExtensionSeed Supply

Newfoundland “Environments”

subarcticgulf

southern island

-2

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ture

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)

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111315171921232527293133

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inity

(pp

t)

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orop

hyll-

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2 metres

5 metres

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Charles Arm

Chlorophyll-a

Salinity

Temperature

NAIA Environmental Program

Research – production related:

• Larval and seed monitoring

Spat collection - Larval Monitoring Program

Larval sampling

Larval sampling

Collector deployment

Mussel Larval/Spat Prediction: fairly reliableSeed supply in existing farm areas

NEarly/Mid July

to Late July

Late June /Early July

Late July to

Early AugustMid JulyLate July

500 km_______Successful spatfall Spatfall timing

Mussel Larval/Spat Prediction: fairly reliableSeed supply in existing farm areas

Concrete Blocks mooring

Mussel spat collection area

Invasive species collectors

Horizontal Position (10cm x 10cm)

Main flotation –16” sub surface PVC float (yellow)

surface

Location marker – 16” surface PVC float (Yellow)

20 FT

6 FT

6 FT

Research and ExtensionSecond Set


• Second set

Macneill

What is second set?An accumulation of unwanted mussels on existing mussel production lines

Couturier

Four strategies evaluated simultaneously:

• Influence of deployment depth

• Influence of socking density

• Influence of sock deployment time

• Influence of husbandry practices

Influence of initial density on second set:

• Initial density influences amount of second set

• Second set diminishes with depth

• Second set reduces mussel growth on production socks

• …….still evaluating biomass, condition and growth rates

Influence of collector deployment depth, timing, and site on second set:

• Depth reduces number of second set mussels

• Size of second set mussels reduced with depth

• Major settlement in July and August

• ……still evaluating monthly collector retrievals to pin point timing and depth of settlement

Influence of husbandry on second set:

• Adequacy of seed grading influences sock filling which in turn influences prevalence of second set

• Some areas use starfish to “reduce” second set (not recommended)

• On site grading at harvest and resocking being evaluated

Influence of husbandry on second set:

Inappropriate sockingleads to this

Influence of husbandry on second set:Uniform socking and seed grading minimizessecond set prevalence

Research and ExtensionHealth assessment for export


• Mussel health

McGladdery

Results of mussel health study:

K. Moret

NFLD mussels healthy

SM

9

8 7

6

5

4 3 2

1

10 1114

12

13

Comprehensive Mussel Health Survey

McGladdery

Moret

Couturier

Couturier

Research and ExtensionHealth assessment for production

Aesthetics and Quality Implications

Left (1)- Mottled Meat-Moderate, Mussels Centre (2-5) Normal, Right (6)- MottledMeat-Severe

Moret

Research and ExtensionTechnology adaptation

Research – costs of production related

• Extension advice• New technologies• Quality initiatives – e.g., guide, handling, etc

Eider deterrent


• Extension advice

Practical Guide for Mussel FarmingBest Practices

March 2000

By Christopher Brown, Cyr Couturier, Jay Parsons, Jason Nichols, Alistair Struthers, Sean Macneill, Miranda Pryor, Kelly Moret, and Tony Zokvic

Marine Institute of Memorial UniveristyCentre for Aquaculture and Seafood DevelopmentP.O. Box 4920, St. John’s, NF, Canada A1C 5R3

With funding by the Aquaculture Component of the Economic Renewal Agreement, the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, the Department of Fisheries

and Aquaculture and the Marine Institute of Memorial University

A B C

D

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500 m

80 m

Seed grading: demonstratedenhanced socking by 2-4X. Reduced

socking costs by 50% at least, aswell as improved product quality

(yield) and reduced growout


• New technologies

Adaptation of continuous culture methodsresults in further 50% reduction in cost of production

S. Macneill

Continuous loop sock

Site layout conforms to CEAA

Mussel Responses to SockingJ. Bertrand (1999):

• Occasionally new products introduced to industry

• One such product included socking material that is woven, not extruded

• Noticed large losses of mussels post-deployment

• Sock deterioration about one year later

Atelier sur les indicateurs de stress, le 24-26 fev. 2003, Qc

Mussel Responses to SockingJ. Bertrand (1999):

New socking

Traditional socking

Mussel Responses to SockingJ. Bertrand (1999) conclusions:

• Lubricant in new woven socking might account for loss of mussels post-seeding

• Lubricant altered mussel response behaviour signficantly, in a fashion similar to hydrocarbon effects such as naphthalene


• Quality advice

Research and ExtensionOptimizing production and processing

Mussel Water Loss

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% L

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Chill Room 4C32% meat yield

25% weight loss first 24 hours

Developped methods to reduce drip loss & enhance return to growers

Quality related issues (not food safety):

Mycotic shell infections

PEI cultivated mussels Byssal thread fouling

Shell colouration

MacNeill

MacNeill

Bacterial discolouration

Research and Extension

Conclusions

1. Ongoing R and D required to maintain competitiveness

2. Extension support crucial3. Market access constraints will

drive the agenda for R and D

offshore mussel farming

Documents