SUSTAINABLE MUSSEL CULTURE:

Profitable for Planet and People

Aad Smaal,

Wageningen Universiteit and IMARES Yerseke

(Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies)

Mussel Academy, June 3, 2014

GOALS OF THIS TALK

What are characteristics of shellfish culture ?

What makes it sustainable ?

How can this be further developed ?

Why is this relevant ?

• New institute 2006 • Part of Wageningen UR • 207 employees • Annual turnover € 26 Million

3 sites : = Yerseke 40 p = IJmuiden 87 P = Den Helder 80 p

IMARES YERSEKE

- location Yerseke 40 people

6 PhD’s, students

- > 50 Years shellfish research

- monitoring & assessment

- carrying capacity

- shellfish farming

- now including fish farming,

integrated culture and

coastal zone management Yerseke, centre of the

shellfish industry

Suspended culture

Pole culture

TRADITIONAL SHELLFISH CULTURE

• extensive : no additions

• depends on nature for feed, seed and space

• shellfish culture links to nature management

TRADITIONAL MUSSEL CULTURE NL:

Bottom culture since 1870

Based on

- new recruitment

- feed

- proper culture sites

i.e. based on nature

...and depending on nature

technical innovations

... but also on society: - other (new) stakeholders

- license to produce

management innovations

WADDEN SEA

LIFE CYCLE OF A MUSSEL

ADULT LARVAE

SPAT

SEED

CULTURE CYCLE - traditional

ADULT LARVAE

SPAT

SEED

SEED FISHERY

HARVEST

CULTURE CYCLE - new

ADULT LARVAE

SPAT

SEED

SEED FISHERY

HARVEST

SEED COLLECTORS

HATCHERY

Seed Mussel Collector : = Net or rope in the water column = Substrate for larvae

INNOVATION: SEED MUSSEL COLLECTORS (SMC)

Seed collection : since 2007 Increase from 2 to 15 mln kg Seed fishery : On average 2007-2012: 20 mln kg Largely variable 2010 and 2011 : 0 2012: 40 mln kg need: > 40 mln kg SMC = technical innovation

SMC harvest

Red = wild catch

Court decision: fishery may be harmful

Response of industry :

- Uncertainty: fishery policy promised

time for innovation till 2020

- Anger: negative impact was

not proven but suggested

- Public action: against the “green lies”

Response of NGO’s :

- It is the Ministry that was blamed by

the court for lack for clear policy

Response of Ministry :

- mediation agreement

DRIVER: CONFLICT DUE TO COURT DECISION 2008

Stop the green lies

Environmentalists not against mussel industry

AGREEMENT ON MUSSEL TRANSITION : 2009 - 2020

• No court cases

• Stepwise decrease of bottom seed fishery and development of SMC

• Closure of Wadden Sea areas for fishery

Oktober 2008 Agreement between stakeholders

• Mid term evaluation 2014

management innovation

Research framework

Traditional mussel culture depends

on mussel seed fished from wild beds

in the Wadden Sea

Mussel seed is fished on wild sublittoral beds

by bottom dredging after new spatfall in

autumn on unstable beds (green), and

next spring on relatively stable beds (red)

Fishery may disrupt benthic habitats including

their natural values

In case of doubt: no N2000 permit

Not only in NL, relevant for Europe

Research questions

Research approach

I – Seed fishery impact on natural values:

before – after, control – impact (BACI)

II - Comparison of natural values = biodiversity of:

● wild mussel beds

● mussel culture plots

● other sublittoral habitats in the western Wadden Sea

Sampling stations

western wadden sea: 40 * 2 * 4 ha plots Sampling inner 100*100 m Mussel spatfall driven distribution Sampling period 2006 - 2011

Closed Open

Impact

Control

Suction dredge

Box core

Mussel densities per plot : t0 / t1

1

2

0

Ref

2

0

Vis

2

2

0

Ref

2

0

Vis

Autumn fishery: t0=Before t1=After

control

impact

3

2

0

Ref

2

0

Vis

4

2

0

Ref

2

0

Vis

Spring fishery: Before After

Mussel biomass per plot over time excl spatfall

5

2

0

Ref

2

0

Vis

7

2

0

Ref

2

0

Vis

9

2

0

Ref

2

0

Vis

after 1 yr 3 yr 5 yr after spring fishery spring spring

control

impact

CONCLUSIONS FISHERY IMPACTS

Mussel biomass

Autumn fishery: decrease of mussel biomass, no significant

difference between fished and control plots

Spring fishery: significant difference,

lower biomass for 2 years after fishery on fished plots

After 3 years no difference impact and control sites:

wild mussel beds have limited longevity,

no dramatic fishery impact

What about mussels on culture plots ?

Culture plot biomass (red) > Wild beds (green)

MUSSEL BIOMASS WILD BEDS / CULTURE PLOTS

BIODIVERSITY WILD BEDS / CULTURE PLOTS

Survey on wild mussel beds, oyster beds, and mussel culture plots; 2008 – 2010: 568 stations in 3 yrs shellfish beds = biodiversity hot spots

All stations

Without M & O

M

O

Nr of species

Nr of samples

Species nr wild beds / culture plots

• Total 108 species in 159 box cores • 84 species on wild beds (5 unique) • 102 species on mussel culture plots (23 unique) • 16 species were invasive

and were all found in both habitats • Typical species:

wild: barnacles, sea anemones culture: ragworm, crab, starfish

CONCLUSION

Mussel beds are biodiversity hot spots

More mussels on culture plots

More biodiversity on culture plots

Wild beds sensitive to predation, better survival in low

salinity areas, with lower biodiversity

Fishery impact less dramatic than originally thought:

maintenance activity by the farmers enhances survival

Paves the way to combine exploitation and nature

conservation: Profit and Planet

LEAFLET SHELLFISH FARMERS USA

GOALS OF THIS TALK

√ What are characteristics of shellfish culture ?

nature based

√ What makes it sustainable ?

Profit and Planet

√ How can this be further developed ?

combine exploitation with other functions

Why is this relevant ?

People

FUTURE PRODUCTION

Global view:

● World population 1 ½ * (6 >> 9 mrd).

● Global welfare per capita : 5 *

● Pressure on earth: ~2 * lower

● Challenge : 1 ½ * 5 * 2 = 15 * so efficient

Seafood:

● Agrification of the oceans: blue growth

Challenge for Europe

PRODUCTION TRENDS

Asia + 5 % /yr Europe – 2 % / yr Compensated by price > European shellfish culture: • Tradition driven production • Small enterprises • Limiting factors

• Competing claims • Equal level playing field

PERSPECTIVES • Market pull • High-quality products • Low-food chain production

Duarte et al, 2009: Will oceans help feed humanity?

- Mariculture could be expanded to meet global demands

and should be based on low trophic level production

mussels, meat of the future

FED VS NON FED AQUACULTURE (FAO, 2012)

Decrease in % non fed low food chain culture

Challenge for shellfish production

Duarte et al , 2007: Rapid domestication of marine species in <100 years

FAO, 2012 Bivalve mollusc species in culture > 70

PERSPECTIVE: DOMESTICATION

Analysis of culture perspectives of valuable species for Europe basis for diversification

Ranking, Based on - aquaculture experience - native - price - culture time

controlled production of spat: = prerequisite for breeding and selection = triploids, better growth, stronger shells and byssus threads,

low allergen shellfish, ...

PERSPECTIVE: HATCHERY / NURSERY SYSTEMS

Culinary biodiversity: fruit de mer > 15 species

Thank you