Shellfish win prizes at Aquaculture UK · shellfish and is sent electronically all over the world...

The Grower July 2018 - 1

The Grower Newsletter for the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers

July 2018

INSIDE THIS 24 PAGE ISSUE

The Grower is a quarterly newsletter edited by Janet H. Brown, The Shellfish Team, 2 Annfield Grove, Stirling, FK8 2BN [email protected] For membership of ASSG contact CEO Dr Nick Lake, Mendosa, Court Hill Road, Rosemarkie, Black Isle, Ross-shire, IV10 8UE [email protected]

For further information see our web site at www.assg.org.uk Disclaimer: Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official view of the Association

The Grower is distributed to all members of the ASSG, to policy makers and scientists with interest in shellfish and is sent electronically all over the world to shellfish farmers and their ilk. It is also available online at www.assg.org.uk Why not advertise to our specialist readership?

Advertising

SSMG wins award

2

CEO’s Column 3-4

ASSG Conference

5-7

Digital shellfish grower

8-9

Other conferences

10-11

Shellfish and omega 3

12

Major snippet from history

13

Oyster Forum in China

15-17

Letters to the Editor

20-22

Photonews 24

Shellfish win prizes at Aquaculture UK

Aviemore blazed hot and sunny for Aquaculture UK which was once again being organised by 5M. With 2394 visitors and 190 exhibitors, a 50% increase in floor space

indoors and a much larger outdoor exhibition area it was the biggest yet. (More photos and news inside). It was also the first year that 5M had staged the Marine Aquaculture Awards. Another first was the award for “Shellfish Farm Manager of the Year” sponsored by AFEX*. Great excitement at Table 20 at the Awards Dinner when this award was won by Rob Lamont (right)) of Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Company seen (on left) being presented with the award by Paul Szymanski of AFEX. Other ASSG members were

also winners of the Aquaculture Seafood product of the Year – SSMG were the winners with their new product developed with Morrisons, Moules Frites. For more details on this see page 2.

The other shellfish winner was in the category ‘Stewardship & Sustainability’. Carly Daniels of the National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall won for her work on a project that is investigating the potential of culturing lobsters in unique growing systems. She is pictured (below right) being presented with her award by Paddy

Campbell, MD of BioMar UK. *This new award was sponsored by AFEX.

Established in 1979, AFEX is a trusted global payment and risk management solutions specialist operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and in over 200 countries. AFEX understands the challenges moving money internationally can present businesses in the aquaculture industry. They offer a tailored FX solution, comprising of an industry leading suite of FX products, to provide protection to your finances. Helping you to navigate through the foreign exchange markets and better manage your international payments.

Contact Senior Business Development Manager, Paul Szymanski, on 07827 360364.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.assg.org.uk

http://www.assg.org.uk/


Dates for your diary

EAS, Montpellier, France

25-29 August 2018

Workshop on European Abalone, biology and sustainable aquaculture 20-21 September 2018

Brittany, France

ASSG Annual Conference October 4-5 2018

Corran Halls, Oban, Scotland

22nd International Pectinid Workshop 24-29 April 2019

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Contact details

Editor of The Grower Janet H Brown, 2 Annfield Grove, Stirling, FK8 2BN [email protected]

CEO Nick Lake, Mendosa, Court Hill Road, Rosemarkie, Black Isle, Ross-shire, IV10 8UE [email protected]

Treasurer Stephen Cameron, [email protected]

Other members of management committee;- David Attwood [email protected] Patrick Blow [email protected] Tristan Hugh-Jones [email protected] Michael Tait [email protected] Ruth Henderson [email protected] Allan Jess [email protected]

that are working hard behind the scenes on a daily basis, down at the head office in Bellshill. Stephen Cameron, Managing Director at Scottish Shellfish, said, “We are honoured and delighted to have won this award. I am proud of all the team members involved in the development of the product, and of course to our farmers for producing the quality shellfish to work with.”

The product was Morrison’s, “The Best Meal for Two Moules Frites” which was launched in their stores as a Valentine’s day special. It consists of two packs of 450g of mussels in a lobster bisque sauce and a single box of thin cut fries or ‘frites’ of 300g.

Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group (SSMG) were awarded Aquaculture UK Seafood Product of the Year 2018 on Wednesday 23rd May, for their ‘Moules Frites’ Morrison’s product. This is a fantastic achievement for Scottish Shellfish and the whole product team behind the scenes.

There was stiff competition from Scottish Sea Farms, The Scottish Salmon Company and Wester Ross Fisheries Ltd, who were all in the final category on the night. Susan Tinch at Aquaculture UK said, “We were delighted with the unprecedented industry engagement with the awards and by the incredible standard of the applications and nominations, the competition was tough, but you (Scottish Shellfish) shone through”.

Scottish Shellfish are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award, giving recognition to the team

NEWS Winner, Winner, Shellfish Dinner!

Pictured right; Stephen Cameron is presented with the award by John Williamson, general manager of Skretting . Dougie Vipond (left) was the MC for the evening.








CEO’s Column Nick’s Notes

Summer is here – well at least the longer daylight periods! Given that the Summer Solstice may well have passed by the time you are reading this – let’s keep it all positive and not wonder where the time has gone and why the nights are drawing in?

Shellfish Industry Performance No problem in being very upbeat about all the

arduous work growers have put in to continue our sector on an upward trajectory. Publication by Marine Scotland of the annual cultivated shellfish production figures for 2017 presents the opportunity to assess how well we are doing. {see www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/05/5986/3}

Production of mussels for the table amounted to almost 8500 tonnes and Pacific oyster outputs achieved around 5 million shells. In addition, production for on-growing contributed approximately a further 4500 tonnes of mussels and 4 million Pacific oysters. Considerable hard work from a wide range of producers has helped our industry develop along the lines suggested by various strategies. The conclusion must be that individual shellfish producers read strategies? Well probably not! – But it would be really good if we could get all our Scottish Government agencies and bodies aligned to drive forward further success.

What is heartening is that this growth in outputs has been accompanied by not only an increase in first sale value but also an increase in employment. One of the key features of the shellfish cultivation sector is that it serves to create and maintain jobs in remote rural areas and regardless of the relative rise in the value of the outputs of the sector, it has supported more individuals.

Growing the product It is probably true to say that the unit value paid to

producers of oysters and mussels has not risen but that demand for high quality Scottish cultivated shellfish has never been better. Markets, whether they are local sales or into the retail chain, are developing based on the range of shellfish – fresh or prepared - now able to be delivered.

It was great to see the success of the shellfish sector at the recent UK Aquaculture Awards in Aviemore (see also pages 1 and 2). Not only did Loch Ryan Native Oysters get recognised but the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group product came home ahead of 3 salmon dishes! Moules et frites will be familiar to many as the national dish of Belgium - well now it has been innovated as a Scottish “Mussels and Chips” dish by the SSMG. Ready to be enjoyed in your own home after a brief time in the oven and microwave. Such innovation shows that increased Scottish production can be readily accommodated within the UK market and so the future is bright.

In speaking to some of the Press regarding the release of the production statistics I have also had to note that shellfish jobs are not just being created in the rural economy. The central belt is increasingly seeing employment rise on the back of the processing and distribution of our products.

Dr Nick Lake, CEO of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers (ASSG)

New species? What had passed me by was a one liner in the latest

production statistics which had me scrabbling for an answer when quizzed by a journalist. How were the White Legged Shrimp produced? The first thing that came to mind was Brit’s abroad – but White Legged Shrimp? I had to admit it was a new one on me until I found the offending line of text – yes it was what I knew as Penaeus vannamei shrimp a decidedly warm water species! I then remembered vaguely from the past that somewhere in Scotland an innovator had established a recirculation system for supply to high value markets and he had contacted me regarding ways to secure a seed supply. Great to know that he had produced something but definitely not a species for Scottish coastal waters – unless we have a major climate change episode!

In the same text it also transpired that Marine Scotland had registered common periwinkle (Littorina spp.) as aquaculture production? Yes, that is the species that you find on most Scottish foreshores with hard substrates. The journalist had confused it with a “Buckie” whelk and seemed disappointed that it was not that species and wondered what value to aquaculture it was? A good question as it was a species I worked with at Seafish Ardtoe in the past to look at potential for cultivation? In essence yes, it can be grown fairly easily by collecting juveniles and supplying them with macro-algae. However, I suspect the case in question is probably a shellfish merchant who when riddling hand gathered winkles to achieve a minimum size has not wanted to waste the grade-outs (which he will have paid for in the sack along with some stones delivered to him by the hand gatherer!). It is likely that he has realised if these winkles are placed in an enclosure on the foreshore and supplied with seaweed - over a summer he can regain his lost expenditure. Whether this is the case and if it should be included as cultivated shellfish production is a moot point, but I am not expecting a rush of members from the hand gathered periwinkle sector.

Let’s keep our focus on what we have been increasingly doing well – bivalve shellfish production.

Production strategy Industry success takes time to deliver and is

dependent on both our reliance on a pristine natural environment to “put the gas in the tank” as the Americans would call it – or specifically to fuel outputs through 100% reliance on natural algal production – and our own cultivation systems to work in harmony with

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/05/5986/3


CEO’s Column cont.

easier access to seed stocks? The short-term answer may not lie in a dedicated hatchery facility. There may be the potential to generate benefits from improved management of the natural marine ecosystem and localised build-up of stocks allowing more reliable collection of seed?

ASSG annual conference This leads me to this year’s conference themes and

the fact that our industry is 1000% reliant on a pristine marine environment in which we can demonstrate that we have minimal impact and hence are truly a sustainable industry - almost regardless of what our production targets may be. The theme and title chosen “Scottish Cultivated Shellfish – Our Role in Saving the Planet!” may be over dramatic but knowing the subjects involved and the way we are heading - as a human species chewing through our natural resources – bivalve shellfish in terms of their cultivation and consumption certainly do make a compelling case for the modern age. More details can be founded in my accompanying piece (see pages 5-7 Ed.) but we look forward to seeing you there. Registration for the event will appear on the ASSG website in early July with an updated provisional programme of key speakers.

Productive Summer Ahead Just keeping on the positive theme I hope that the

summer ahead leads to further production opportunities for all our Scottish shellfish growers and that further gains can be shown in the 2018 official production statistics!

All the best

Nick

the marine ecosystem. We have a 2020 target to achieve 13000 tonnes of Scottish cultivated shellfish and we thankfully are well placed to meet this. More ambitiously we have a 2030 goal of 21000 tonnes of shellfish which seems achievable given current performance. However, our reliance on our “fuel” from the natural environment is matched by the need for seed and with this we may require to be more innovative to achieve continued growth.

If you look at most primary production industries it is not just “seed” that they rely on but carefully selected strains which deliver the required performance.

In terms of the production statistics for Scottish oysters, yes there was a substantial increase in the Pacific Oyster output in 2017 – but it must be remembered that this relied on seed in the water 3 to 4 years before this. Equally native oyster production was static at 200,000 shells. Seed supply being a major limiting factor on the industry being in a position to expand this output.

The industry has been undertaking innovative work with potential mussel seed supply based on the “stepping stone” hatchery project in Shetland - looking to reduce any inherent variability of supply from the wild - and taking steps to assure future production industry outputs. These sorts of innovation take time to come to fruition and in the period as we head towards 2030 we will need to focus our efforts on a multi-faceted approach to insuring that seed supply can match production aspirations.

Equally king scallop production based on the 2017 Marine Scotland survey figures shows current Scottish cultivated outputs as only 47,000 shells. Would this production sector show greater potential if there were


ASSG Annual Conference 4-5 October 2018

“Scottish Cultivated Shellfish – Our Role in Saving the Planet!” Nick Lake reports on plans so far…….

As I said in my column on facing page but it bears repeating, our industry is 1000% reliant on a pristine marine environment in which we can demonstrate that we have minimal impact and hence are truly a sustainable industry - almost regardless of what our production targets may be.

The title above has been a working title and may seem over dramatic? However, knowing the subjects involved and the way we are heading - as a human species chewing through our natural resources – bivalve shellfish in terms of their cultivation and consumption certainly do make a compelling case for the modern age.

The conference organisation is still in process as would be expected now but I am pleased to be able to tell you the plans so far.

This year’s event is all about looking at the role shellfish production can play in monitoring and sustaining a healthy marine environment – of relevance to both shellfish producers and the wider public in a world of increasing environmental challenges.

The two-day event will have a range of key topics and speakers all subject to final confirmation but include the following.

An opening presentation by Roseanna Cunningham MSP Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform. With a National Marine Plan finely balanced between use of the Scottish marine resource for social and economic purposes and the objective of maintaining and potentially enhancing the unique natural marine environment - the role of bivalve shellfish will be a primary focus.

The social and environmental benefits of shellfish cultivation and consumption are widespread with Professor Baukje de Roos (below) of the Rowett

Research Institute identifying the potential impact on human nutrition. This also includes seasonal aspects to the nutritional value of shellfish.

Public social conscience and environmental positives of native oyster restoration and production will be considered by Morven Robertson (pictured below) of

the Blue Marine Foundation based on practical developments implemented to restore coastal stocks.

When looking at the shellfish production horizon it must be viewed in terms of consumer demand trends and a picture will be presented from the multiple retail sector along with alternative market opportunities. Scotland is one of many nations with goals to secure the benefits of enhanced shellfish production and an international view will be presented from another European nation’s perspective.

Pictured above; Roseanna Cunningham on a litter picking exercise at Gullane beach


ASSG conference cont.

Stewardship of the marine environment and management of the resource by Crown Estate Scotland (CES) will be discussed by the Chair of the Interim Management Body - Amanda Bryan. Access to natural areas suitable for shellfish cultivation are key to the future development of the sector and CES as the largest marine asset manager is faced with increasing demands to facilitate the development of a range of marine industry sectors.

Helping to inform some of the socio-economic considerations will be Dr Adam Hughes (right) from the SAMS / UHI Aquaculture hub who will identify the wide-ranging ecosystem services presented by the presence of shellfish production and associated natural capital of wild stocks.

The Scottish industry continues to be dependent on wild seed supply for mussel production and disease-free waters to allow oyster approved hatcheries. Both hatchery and natural collection are strands of the seed supply chain for the progressively expanding mussel sector and the relevance of these aspects will be considered along with management options.

While the key objective of increasing shellfish production in Scotland is to supply consumer demand for high quality seafood there can be associated indirect benefits. The position of bivalve shellfish in the ecosystem food chain relying on natural algal

production means a low carbon footprint. In other areas of Europe shellfish are also viewed as one of a range of

Tweedside Park, Tweedbank,

Galashiels, TD1 3TE


ASSG conference cont.

This initiative led by the industry developed over the years into the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group. How the supply chain has been strengthened and extended and the processes and investment required to achieve this together with a forward look at what could be achieved in the future will be considered.

In addition to the conference sessions the event also provides an opportunity for discussions with service and equipment suppliers dedicated to the shellfish sector and a chance to catch up with the science and policy community - and of course shellfish growers!

The “Best Scottish Shellfish” competition will again be taking place over the first day with the winners receiving their unique ceramic awards at the annual dinner on the 4th October. The lead judge will again be Nicki Holmyard who will have an expert team making the critical decisions!

Registration for the event will appear on the ASSG website in early July with an updated provisional programme of key speakers.

The Principle Sponsor will be Crown Estate

Scotland and Co-sponsor – Marine Scotland and without their support the conference would not be possible. We are also pleased to hear that once again the prizes for the best Scottish shellfish will once again be provided courtesy of HIE.

tools to help manage the results of enhanced nutrients reaching the sea from the land while delivering high grade marine protein. This theme will be further explored during the event.

The Scottish shellfish cultivation industry has been supported by a range of research and development

initiatives over time and Richard Slaski (above), SARF Executive Director, will look at the work undertaken in recent years and the impacts achieved for the shellfish sector. Learning from the past may also give a view to the requirement for future targeted research investment.

Business support for the rural economy of the Highlands and Islands has helped individual shellfish production companies to develop and create a collective scale of production which has facilitated upstream and downstream opportunities. Individual business growth has also been assisted through public investment schemes which have included sectoral research and development goals. The potential for future support for businesses and the wider shellfish sector will be examined by Elaine Jamieson, (pictured right) Head of HIE Policy for the food and drink sector.

One such historic public initiative resulted in the Scottish industry being able to access multiple retail markets through co-operative processing and marketing.

Oyster bus—marketing opportunity?

The mobile oyster bar, with seating for up to 65, bar, kitchen, everything you need to sell oysters and accompaniments. You may want to change the name from The Bloody Oyster? If interested contact The London Bus Export Company at [email protected] BUT don’t forget to mention The Grower if you are making enquiries!



The Digital Shellfish Grower – An Australian Perspective

Colin Bridges (SmartOysters) and Claire McAsh (Signature Oysters)

Much of the industry around the world still relies on paper, farmer memory and the whiteboard in the shed to capture data and manage the farm. However, unless this information is captured in digital form, the farmer’s knowledge and records of activity are extremely vulnerable.

Furthermore, as other agricultural sectors continue to digitise their practices, they are increasingly able to access new capital and manage risk through detailed and verified systems. This leaves the shellfish industry at risk of being left behind.

For many oyster farmers, the whiteboard represents an easy to use, low cost tool. It has remained in use even though more technically advanced efficient alternatives have become available. The low cost and familiarity of the whiteboard means that often superior and cost-effective technology is frequently overlooked or rejected.

For all their benefits, whiteboards, paper and farmer memory have significant limitations. They have no back-up. They are not secure. Manual entry of data can be time-consuming and must be laboriously transferred to an electronic format if stock and financial reports are required. All data collected out on the lease must either be written down or memorised prior to being entered on the board. This increases the risk of mistakes being made. In short; real-time monitoring and reporting is not practicable using these methods.

All is not lost though! The good news is that easy to use, cost-effective digital alternatives, specifically designed for the shellfish industry are now readily available. For example, the team at SmartOysters has achieved just that. Rather than starting with complex database design or sensors, SmartOysters commenced with a very simple concept; make it easier for a shellfish farmer to do their job and as a by-product capture what they do digitally.

What has emerged from the collaboration of SmartOysters’ founders is a world first. An industry specific farming tool in a simple to use mobile app with an elegant map interface. This enables the farmer to do their work, capture what they do in seconds, and then use that information to readily visualise their farm and activities.

Like single seed cultivation and long-line production, the digitisation of farm practice and stock is a significant moment in the industry’s evolution. Adoption of new technology will assist in future proofing the industry and ensuring that shellfish growers are not left behind

Col Bridges - Business Development Manager for SmartOysters.

Col has more than 28 years’ experience working in the environmental sector in fields as diverse as aquaculture, forestry, lake management, and local government. He is rapidly making himself known throughout the Australian & international aquaculture industry as a passionate advocate for the use of technology in farming enterprises. Previously a stranger to oysters, things rapidly changed when he married into an oyster farming family! His wife Claire McAsh is a Director of Signature Oysters & sister to well-known Australian oyster legend - Ewan McAsh. For Col, SmartOysters represents the future of aquaculture. It will future proof enterprises and provide growers with an unprecedented level of control over their farms.

Claire McAsh - Director of Operations for Signature Oysters

Claire is the back room V8 engine to Signature Oysters. She is an experienced environmental scientist and civil designer in her professional life and is now a significant part of a thriving oyster business. She was instrumental in setting up Signature Oysters and is passionate about its main aim – to support farmers deliver

their best oysters to the best restaurants. Coming from an oyster farming family, the transition from environmental design work and back to oystering a few years ago felt like returning home. For Claire, being in the industry enables her to work with fantastic people around the world, whilst actively supporting farmers and chefs alike. Add the fact that this encourages the growth of more shellfish which results in cleaner waterways and oceans, and you'll understand why Claire is so enthusiastic about her job.


The Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers Annual Conference

Corran Halls, Oban 4 - 5 October 2018

“Scottish Cultivated Shellfish – Our Role in Saving the Planet!”

Booking opens 1st July 2018 More information on pages 5-6 of this issue


22nd

International Pectinid Workshop 2019

The 22nd International Pectinid Workshop will be held in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. We would like to invite you to attend this meeting from April, 24th to 29th, 2019 in “Hospedería San Martín Pinario” (Praza da Inmaculada, 3, 15704 Santiago de Compostela), a historic and renovated building located opposite the cathedral.

The International Pectinid Workshop has been a biennial event on the calendar of marine researchers from all over the world since 1976. The workshop is dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge concerning the scallop species of the world.

The 22nd Workshop will focus on the biology, reproduction, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, fisheries, aquaculture and economics of scallops. We invite both oral and poster presentations of topics above.

Santiago de Compostela is located near the geographical centre of Galicia, northwest of Spain. The Atlantic coast is only 30 kilometres away. Santiago de Compostela was originally a stopping point on a Roman road, but the discovery of the Apostle James’ tomb at the beginning of the 9th century gave rise to our town. From then on all of Europe started walking towards Santiago. The municipality of Santiago de Compostela has an official population of around 96,000 inhabitants. In the last year, the city received more than a million tourist and some 278 thousand pilgrims finished the Way of St. James in Santiago de Compostela.

Thank you and we are looking forward to seeing you in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.

Luz Pérez-Parallé, J. Luís Sánchez, Antonio J. Pazos Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular Instituto de Acuicultura Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

http://www.santiagoturismo.com/ciudad/galicia/index.asp


Editor’s Note. Can we hope that the health messages in future will

not concentrate so emphatically on eating fish but include the advantages of eating farmed bivalves ?

The so-called “omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids” have many beneficial roles in human health, with particularly key roles in cardiovascular disease and other inflammatory conditions. It has been widely recognised that virtually all production of omega-3s occurs in the ocean and is due to microbes, mainly microalgae. From microalgae, omega-3s pass up the marine food web to higher trophic level organisms such as invertebrates (shellfish) and fish, which accumulate omega-3s in their bodies thus becoming excellent sources of these healthy compounds in the human diet. While it was known that invertebrates have some ability to upgrade the omega-3s produced by microalgae, a recent study led by the University of Stirling has demonstrated that a plethora of invertebrate species can also be primary producers of omega-3s.

This paradigm-shifting study, published in Science Advances (May issue bit.ly/2sk352R ) has found that omega-3 fatty acids can be created by many invertebrates inhabiting marine ecosystems. Corals, worms, molluscs, rotifers and crustaceans possess enzymes called ‘desaturases’ of a type that enable them to produce omega-3s in a similar way as occurs in marine microbes. Given the abundance of invertebrates with this outstanding capacity in ecosystems such as coral reefs, abyssal plains, thermal vents, etc., the contribution that these animals have to the global production of omega-3s is expected to be remarkable.

The results of this study could have important implications for industrial sectors such as aquaculture and omega-3 biotechnology. The ability of marine invertebrates can be exploited to produce highly nutritious feed ingredients to replace the finite marine ingredients (fishmeal and fish oil) used to manufacture feeds for high value fish and shrimp. Moreover, another possible impact derived from this study is to uncover novel omega-3 producing capacities that can be used for biotechnological production of omega-3 oils in oilseed crops or other organisms. Marine invertebrates represent an interesting and barely explored source of these genetic resources, potentially with novel functionalities amenable for biotechnological production of omega-3 oils.

The full reference can be accessed at the link above

but is given here in full. Genes for de novo biosynthesis of omega-3

polyunsaturated fatty acids are widespread in animals. 2018 Naoki Kabeya, Miguel M. Fonseca, David E. K. Ferrier, Juan C. Navarro, Line K. Bay, David S. Francis, Douglas R. Tocher, L. Filipe C. Castro, and Óscar Monroig, Science Advances 02 May 2018:Vol. 4, no. 5, eaar6849 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar6849

SCIENCE NEWS Marine invertebrates as primary producers of omega 3 fats—let’s hear it for the shellfish!

Oscar Monroig

Dr Oscar Monroig gained his first degree in Marine Sciences at the University of Cadiz and his doctorate at the University of Valencia, and has worked extensively at the Institute of Aquaculture Torre la Sal (IATS), Spain, with spells in the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in Tenerife, and the Centre for Applied Marine Sciences, Bangor University. Oscar joint the Institute of Aquaculture in 2007 first on a postdoctoral scholarship funded by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Education and thereafter on a Marie Curie fellowship. In 2011, he returned to IATS where he worked as postdoctoral researcher for almost three years. Oscar is Lecturer in Aquatic Animal Nutrition at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling. His research interests include the study of molecular mechanisms involved in the production of essential fatty acids in aquatic organisms.

Pictured above: A handful of rope-grown omega-3 producers. Image supplied by Seafish: www.seafish.org

http://bit.ly/2sk352R

http://www.seafish.org


Snippet from history Shellfish hatchery on Loch Creran

Janet H Brown

The Grower has been including a “Snippets from History” section in recent issues but for this issue we have something more akin to “Living history”. This was due to another lucky meeting at the Aquaculture UK event in Aviemore.

Anyone knowing anything about Scottish aquaculture currently will be only too aware of the company, Scottish Sea Farms Ltd. Of course, a major salmon farming company with sites all over Scotland bringing employment to rural areas and with a strong community involvement. But who can tell me who set up Scottish Sea Farms? And would you believe me if I tell you it started up as a shellfish hatchery in 1968? In 1968 (for a brief time) I was sorting young salmon that had died from gas bubble disease at Lochailort before starting university and certainly heard nothing about a shellfish hatchery some 50 mile away.

An early visitor to our ASSG stand with its comfortable director chairs was Dr John Prescott. Born in Liverpool but raised in Ireland, a qualified veterinarian, a marine biologist with a career path that could turn this from a “snippet” to a full length biography, but with the fascinating information that he had established Scottish Sea farms as a shellfish hatchery in 1968. Part of his history had primed him for this in that while in USA where he did his marine biology degree he had seen an advert for an oyster rearing patent posted by Joe Glancy on Long Island. Since he was in New York at the time it was no problem to get down to Long Island. While the system being patented was essentially a means of concentrating microalgae which while important in the development of shellfish hatchery techniques was rather site specific, seeing the hatchery was enough to put John on a new career path. He purchased the patent and decided there and then shellfish hatcheries were where his future lay.

Glossing over the intervening steps finds John Prescott, with support from HIDB (20%), some Irish support and setting up his hatchery as “Scottish Sea Farms” which seems to me a sign of huge optimism; rather than call it more specifically, The Loch Creran Oyster Hatchery, the name Scottish Sea farms speaks of large vistas and many possibilities. In fact from the start there were 3 species being produced, Crassostrea gigas (which had only been officially introduced by MAFF since 1965), Ostrea edulis and Mercenaria mercenaria. The latter was stopped as it was not allowed in Scotland.

John eventually sold this hatchery to ICI dealing directly with Sir John Harvey-Jones, this being a time when big business was keen to get into the developing area of aquaculture, and following an invitation to submit business ideas to ICI. John’s letter of application was one of 147 and it was his proposal that was chosen. Harvey-Jones later became chairman of ICI and also achieved wider fame on the BBC TV series, “Troubleshooter” as older readers may recognise. They

then sold it on to Le Roy and Salmar but basic incompatibilities between rearing larval shellfish and

salmon meant the salmon won out. The story is infinitely more complex than this but for me the really fascinating thing is that Scottish Sea Farms started life as a shellfish hatchery.

John Prescott (pictured above at the ASSG stand in Aviemore) is not however resting on his laurels and is currently working on another project. It should be encouraging to all us “young folk” that new projects can be started at 88 years of age!

50 years ago France was in uproar sparking student uprisings everywhere but meanwhile in Scotland…...Read on!


It was a pleasure for me to meet a new member of SSMG (Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group) staff – the “aquaculture and procurement technologist”, Sarah Evans. She was appointed in September 2017 but the Aquaculture UK event was the first time we’d met. She clearly is enthused about her job, keeping on top of the traffic lights system so knowing what sites are amber, what sites are closing and giving feedback to the farmers. She is also involved with assessing raw material quality for any products coming into the plant at Bellshill which can provide valuable feedback to the grower and ensures the products produced are of top quality. Sarah got the opportunity to visit two mussel farms in Shetland and with the rolling out of an updated farm manual is looking forward to visiting a lot more in the near future.

Sarah (pictured right at the ASSG stand at Aquaculture UK in Aviemore) is a recent graduate from the University of Stirling with a BSc in Marine Biology and then was an early graduate from their new MSc in Aquatic Food Security in the second year it ran.

Sarah found her new job at SSMG via the careers day run by the Stirling Aquaculture Students Association. This sounds like an excellent scheme.

NEWS

New role at SSMG

If everyone in the UK ate one more portion of shellfish per week it would transform the UK shellfish industry; how can we make this happen? To help answer this question and to make product from aquatic sources central to global food security discussions, the ‘Seafood Consumption Initiative’ was launched by Dave Little and Stacia Stetkiewicz (The University of Stirling) on 14 June in partnership with The Aquaculture Research Collaboration Hub for the UK (ARCH-UK).

Day 1 of the 2-day workshop saw producers, scientists, industry representatives, retail experts and

global influencers from all over the world discuss key cultural, social, economic and environmental challenges to getting more shellfish and finfish on people’s plates. A global perspective on this topic is important for the creation of new markets and effective public education. Ensuring food safety and sustainability by sharing best practice, which the UK was identified world leading in this respect, will also improve public perception. A full report on the discussions will feature in the July ARCH-UK bulletin, to sign up to the bulletin or join future discussion go to www.aquaculturehub-uk.com/join-us/

How do we get more UK shellfish and finfish on people’s plates?

Launch of the ‘Seafood Consumption Initiative’ 14-15 June 2018

Pictured from left, Dr Joanna Gosling, Prof. David Little (both of University of Stirling) and Prof. Max Troell (Stockholm University), one time speaker at an ASSG conference in Oban. But can anyone tell us which year?

https://www.aquaculturehub-uk.com/join-us/


NEWS

New native oyster hatchery in North Brittany

The shellfish hatchery at Porscave (Britanny, France) is a unit of CRC* Bretagne-Nord unit where the main aim is the production of families by biparental crossing of flat oyster broodstock. The aim is to select strength characteristics (growth, disease resistance), improve the quality of the catchment and to promote the return of breeding on the foreshore, so every family is tested at the sea (foreshore and deep water). Once the families of interest are identified, they will be returned to the natural environment on pre-defined sites in order to supply natural oyster beds.

The hatchery was designed to produce more than 100 families of flat oysters per year and comprises a technical area, seawater supply, phytoplankton production, breeding room, biparental conditioning room, larval rearing room, settlement room, micro-nursery and nursery areas. The hatchery also has an

isolation area (both in terms of seawater inputs and outputs with ultraviolet and ozone treatment available) to accommodate experiments on many other species.

The hatchery is oriented towards the flat oyster as part of the requirements of PERLE II programme, managed by CRC Bretagne-Nord with Sorbonne Universités and Agrocampus Ouest as project collaborators. The flat oyster families are used also as part of FOREVER, a programme supported by CRC Bretagne-Sud with LEMAR and ESITC, focused on the restoration of oyster beds.

This is not a commercial project and the aim is improving broodstock but for further information readers can contact [email protected]

Note *CRC= Comités Régionaux de la

Conchyliculture or regional committee for shellfish culture and in this case for North Brittany.

If you can’t beat it, eat it seems to be the new answer to the invasive species, Crepidula fornicata, otherwise known as the slipper limpet. But that was before ALD or Atlantic Limpet Development took the matter in hand and now announce the slipper limpet as a “new Breton Shellfish – it is small, round and will tantalise your taste buds”.

Their web site at http://www.berlingot-de-mer.fr/even provides recipes. Happily Scotland cannot share in this bonanza but if this helps clear a pest then please eat all you can.

The balance to this by way of explaining how inva-sive species of this can destroy biodiversity is provided at https://www.20minutes.fr/planete/2264463-20180502-video-especes-invasives-france-crepidule-veut-plus-quitter-bretagne

Pest control via gastronomy?

Photo courtesy GBNNSS


http://www.berlingot-de-mer.fr/

http://www.berlingot-de-mer.fr/

https://www.20minutes.fr/planete/2264463-20180502-video-especes-invasives-france-crepidule-veut-plus-quitter-bretagne






The first oyster city? Janet H Brown

Fortune favours the brave – but also those with some time to spare when an invitation arrives at very short notice. Would I be willing to travel to the Rushan International Oyster Forum to tell the audience about the oyster industry in the UK? With just 3 weeks in hand once I had the essential visa there was not a lot of time to spare for preparation but having never been to China it was not an opportunity I wanted to pass up. More crucially, the opportunity to learn something at first hand of the Chinese shellfish aquaculture industry was something to jump at, not least for the copy it could provide!

The Forum was being jointly sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, via the Institute of Oceanology, Qingdao, the Rushan City government and the local oyster industry led by Qingdao Frontier Ocean Seed Company. The specialist input was being organised by no lesser scientist than Prof. Ximing Guo, the primary instigator of the system for producing triploid oysters via tetraploidy. I later learnt that the event had been under discussion for some time but then they had realised that accommodating the size of the forum envisaged would become more difficult as the tourist season hit Rushan. Hence the short notice for the invitation.

It was daunting to present an account of farming in the UK where total production of Pacific oysters was 2166 tonnes in 2016 in a country where total annual production of oysters was over 4.8 million tonnes. And this was alongside presentations from France (64,200 tonnes) Australia (3,029 tonnes), Korea (268,973 tonnes) and USA 25,296 tonnes) [These figures are from FAO 2016 and note that these are figures just for production of Pacific oyster – the production in USA for Crassostrea virginica is some 4 times greater].

The talks however presented an interesting picture of each country with their different focuses. I managed to speak about native oysters also and the irony was that for all that I had learnt in the past about China introducing exotic species with gay abandon, when it comes to oysters they are growing their native species, as is Korea. In China the concentrated effort is in C. gigas north of the Yangtse river, then the Portuguese oyster, C. angulata (also a native species despite its common. name) and then C. hongkongensis in the far south.

There were many interesting snippets. Dr Maria Haws presenting information on the West Coast of USA shellfish mentioned the antagonism to aquaculture there, despite an enthusiasm for seafood which must have a curiosity to the Chinese audience. Prof Ximing Guo presented the information on the East Coast of USA where the culture of C virginica is growing very fast and there is increasing interest in growing disease resistant triploids, now accounting for 50% of eastern oyster production.

Dr Aude Jouaux gave a fascinating insight into the culture of the French oyster particularly with respect to the quality of their oysters and marketing, thus covering the use of conditioning before sale with its inherent large-scale shellfish movements, which is such an important part of the French industry and in the gastronomy of the oyster. She also explained the still important use of wild caught spat particularly on the Atlantic coast alongside the hatchery produced diploid and triploid oysters.

Dr Michael Dove of NSW Department of Primary Industries provided a contrast since while C gigas is their major product there is considerable interest in their native species. In his state they only permit culture of triploid Pacific oysters and there is considerable interest

Pictured below; from left Dr Maria Haws, Dr Steven Robert, Dr Aude Jouaux, Prof Ximing Guo, Dr Janet Brown in Qingdao


in boosting production of two native species, Saccostrea glomerulata, (Sydney rock oyster) and more recently also Ostrea angasi (the Australian flat oyster). Apparently, Captain Cook commented on the Sydney rock oysters when he arrived, “Oysters are small and plentiful and most sweet to the taste” – I agree. However, for all these species they have diseases and this despite control systems. His department is breeding oysters for disease resistance. With their breeding programme for the Sydney rock oyster which started in 1997, by 2014 they had a pedigree-based breeding programme of 7 generations 36% heavier than controls and reaching market size 1 year earlier but this had an impact on the meat quality. So they changed to selecting for traits. Meanwhile the oyster herpes virus which they refer to as POMS and a serious problem for the Pacific oyster, had been first detected in 2010 but it took 3 years to spread 40 miles because of controls in place for the QX disease of the Sydney Rock Oysters. The final presentation on overseas culture was from Dr Kwang-Sik Choi of Korea who had least reason to be overawed by the Chinese production figures as Korea is in second place in terms of volume and also produces high quality oysters but also largely relies on wild spat collection.

The Chinese speakers after lunch gave us some background as to what they might have been looking for from our presentations in that while the Chinese production is so huge the relative value is not so great. Rushan is concentrating on branding their oysters and aiming to produce high quality oysters. So, these talks

covered aspects of marketing and described experience with species that had been successfully branded.

After a magnificent banquet in the evening hosted by the local Communist party head and the city mayor who spoke excellent English the next morning the whole contingent went to visit the sights of Rushan. It was a cold and blustery day and the one thing we didn’t see

Delicious Rushan oyster as served at the banquet.


was oysters being grown. However, we did see the Australian style suspended bags, produced locally, the huge wealth of sea food varieties processed and as part of the vacation orientation of the area, the vineyards. These were organised on something like a time-share in that people purchased an area of vineyard and then were invited to come to the vineyard in the summer to enjoy the lifestyle of what I called a “French-style chateau” but which the French team considered more “Scottish baronial” accommodation but whichever, the investors became entitled to a number of bottles of wine relating to the size of their investment. There was an equivalent set up in Hainan for winter visiting. The wine was certainly excellent and we enjoyed delicious deep fried Rushan oysters with it as perfect accompaniment.

The closing ceremony that afternoon finally disclosed to us the objective behind our visit – nothing less than the establishment of the first oyster city of the world. It was not always easy to follow the interpreters but the plans appeared to be very complex – to develop Rushan Oyster City based on the culture of oysters in all senses of the word culture, with research and development at the core, displays of oysters, colourful fields and gardens, an oyster-themed recreation centre. These were some of the elements I picked up but it will be fascinating to see how it all develops. My only concern was to what extent the farmers themselves had been involved in these plans which seemed to be relying to a great deal on their hard work in building the product.

A version of this article has already been published

in Fish Farmer Vol 41, no 5 May 2018

Above; right Dr Wu Fucun (co-organiser of the Forum with Prof Ximing) holds a typical lantern net used for oyster culture in Rushan while on the right an adapted Australian style basket in 3 tier formation shown on the tour.


Fishmongers’ Company sponsors shellfish students

Eleanor Adamson

In 2018, The Fishmongers’ Company is happy to announce the launch of their new Fish and Fisheries Academic Sponsorship Programme that aims to support industry relevant student research across four main thematic strands, which are:

• Freshwater fish, fisheries and catchment management

• Marine fish, fisheries and environmental management

• The sustainable and innovative development of aquaculture

• Supporting and developing the fish trade The programme specifically supports masters and

doctoral research on projects of direct relevance to UK industry, small business and the third sector. All research projects are decided in consultation with industry hosts and academic supervisors and, wherever possible, we encourage industry engagement with the research student throughout the course of the work.

As part of our first year’s sponsorship, we are very pleased to engage directly with the Scottish mussel industry to bring new knowledge to the puzzle of juvenile mussel mortality by part funding a PhD placement. This project, born out of a relationship between Dr Stefano Carboni (Stirling Institute of Aquaculture) and Alan and Lawrie Byrne (Fassfern Mussels), follows on from a preliminary investigation into symptoms associated with mussel mortality, also sponsored by the Fishmongers’ Company and conducted at Stirling University in early 2018.

The project aligns closely with the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre’s (SAIC’s) Priority for Innovation Action on mussel spat security, and at Aviemore on May 23rd during the SAIC-hosted ‘Aquavation Session’ we were very pleased to learn that the study will receive substantial co-sponsorship from SAIC as part of their fledgling PhD match-funding programme, and from University of Stirling who will host the research.

Among other projects sponsored this year, we’re

supporting Kokie Harris’s masters investigations into transmission and infectivity threshold of oyster viruses, supervised by Dr Stefano Carboni in collaboration with Dr Tim Bean (CEFAS, Weymouth). Also commencing in 2018, we will be supporting Kelan Cherry’s masters research on alternative methods for transport of live crustaceans, supervised by Dr Katie Smythe from the Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies at Hull University. We hope that’s a win for the UK shellfish industry!

If you have an industry or conservation question that a postgraduate could sink their teeth into please get in touch. We hope to co-fund many more masters and PhD students in coming years to support those seeking careers in the fish and shellfish, aquaculture and fisheries sector and to help industry connect with academic expertise.

Pictured above: Preliminary investigations into juvenile mussel mortally, undertaken at Stirling University, reveal significant inflammatory response (granulocytoma) in mussel mantle tissue (Photo Dr Johanna Baily).

Below: from left Andrew Wallace, Fisheries Director, Fishmongers’ Company, Alan and Lawrie Byrne, Fassfern Mussels, Cynthia Baddoo, Fisheries Co-ordinator, and Dr Eleanor Adamson, Fisheries Programme Manager, both Fishmongers’ Company.


Letters to the Editor

From Trish Daly, Aquaculture Development Executive, BIM

Dear Janet , As you know, numerous initiatives are underway

throughout Europe to bring back the native European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis. In 2017 the EAS Thematic Group on European Flat Oysters was set up and hosted a very well attended session at EAS 2017 in Croatia in October. A 3 day flat oyster restoration Workshop took place in Berlin in November where participants agreed on the formation of the Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (NORA) in Berlin (both reported in The Grower). These two groups share the common goals of supporting and collaborating in future restoration, fisheries enhancement and aquaculture projects.

One key action arising from the meeting in Berlin was to not only try to identify and quantify the requirements for juvenile supply from existing and pending native oyster projects but also to facilitate the establishment of a network to enable these groups to link with hatcheries and other juvenile suppliers in Europe in developing their Programmes. Berenger Colsoul (AWI), Patricia Daly (BIM) and Dr Pauline Kamermans (IMARES) agreed to assist in this task

Could we ask via The Grower if any of your readers are involved in an existing native oyster restoration / fisheries enhancement / aquaculture project or are in a position to supply juveniles through hatchery production

or spat collection. We invite them to complete a questionnaire which can be found on the ASSG website (www.assg.org.uk) or obtained via emailing me at the address below. The final listing can be made available on the NORA website, the AULACETMAR site for the EAS European Flat Oyster Thematic Group and on other relevant sites subject to permission being granted. The form has been kept very simple so we really hope anyone who fits the bill can take the time to complete the section relevant to them and e-mails it back as soon as possible. Kindest regards, Patricia Daly

Aquaculture Technical Development Officer BIM

T +353 1 2144253 M +353 87 2058832 E [email protected]

Editor’s note; To find the questionnaire on the ASSG website scroll down right to the bottom of the opening page – it’s there. Thanks to Tristan Hugh-Jones.

From Garry Seidl, Hexcyl Systems

Hi Janet and Nick, I would just like to thank you both once again for

the help you have provided to me on my first visit to Scotland. In the short time I have been here I have already made acquaintance with some great characters. I hope this initial visit will help me better understand what need for innovation the Scottish shellfish growers are seeking.

It never ceases to amaze me how common the issues are between shellfish farmers world over. Bio-security, spat availability, economic and environmental sustainability are top of the list of discussion.

It is really pleasing for me to see after 30 years of farming oysters the recognition of the importance of shellfish in improving the water quality of coastal marine environments. Oyster reef restoration programs in many countries are being combined with an increase in support for farmed oyster production. This level of support by government and industry is being seen as extremely important for achieving long term viability for both the shellfish industry and the environment which many other fisheries and coastal communities rely on.

The past 25 years has seen many issues effecting a decline in global shellfish production output. These issues common to most shellfish farmers have lead to more sustainable growing practices and the introduction of many innovative farming methods and technologies.

Policies and practices leading to the enhancement of existing shellfish production combined with the

introduction of improved farming methods and technologies will assist industry move more efficiently toward achieving the goal of economic and environmental sustainability. Wishing you and your association all the best. Garry Seidl 37 Thistelton Way, Denial Bay, South Australia 5690 PO Box 633, Ceduna, South Australia, 5690 Mobile: +61 (0) 427 252822 T & F: +61 {0} 886253927 Email: [email protected] Skype: hexcyl.systems

Pictured above: ASSG member Patrick Blow in deep discussion with Garry Seidl at the Aquaculture UK event. Photo credit JH Brown

http://www.assg.org.uk




Letters via the Editor From Bobby Groves

Dear Shellfish farmers of Scotland

My name is Bobby Groves and I’m an Essex oyster man. I am currently writing a book on UK and Irish oysters with the publisher Hachette and I would love to feature you and visit your operation. The book is a narrative of my motorcycle journey around selected UK and Irish oyster farms/fisheries which aims to tell the stories of our incredible shellfish, the people who cultivate them and the history of the area. It is a celebratory food book, a motorbike adventure and a magnifying glass over the area surrounding each individual oyster area to present to the world. I will be photographing myself and have also enlisted the incredible photography talent that is Shaun Darwood to bring out the best of our beautiful islands. You can see his photos here: https://www.instagram.com/shaundarwood/?hl=en

A little bit about me, I am an oyster shucker from Essex who runs an oyster cart at London’s Chiltern Firehouse restaurant/hotel run by Michelin Star Chef Nuno Mendes and USA hotelier Andre Balazs. I grew up working for oyster fisheries in the Blackwater Estuary, Essex, England (Maldon & West Mersea’s Richard Haward Oysters). I’ve been working with oysters for almost 15 years in all aspects of the industry from beach, purification, packing, restaurant sales, markets and of course shucking thousands of oysters.

Your involvement would simply be letting me visit the oyster area or restaurant for a couple of hours or half a day so I can have a chat and get a deeper understanding of your oysters and tell your story. Each oyster fishery/farm will be a chapter in the book. I am also really interested in any local history, curiosities or knowledge you wish to share whether it be oyster related or not, so if you think of something funny, interesting or

important you wish to share feel free to include it in your response. I am keen to show the mosaic of different oyster industries we have from the small operations like Butley Creek Oysterage in Suffolk to the huge rock oyster aquaculture set ups in Ireland to the hatcheries, the long established fisheries of old and the new restoration projects. I plan to be in Scotland and Ireland in September this year.

If you’d like to get involved please respond to the

email I have set up for this project: Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Mob: 00447703051435 Instagram: @bobby__banjo I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Bobby Groves

https://www.instagram.com/shaundarwood/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/shaundarwood/?hl=en


PHOTO NEWS - At Aquaculture UK

Dr Stefano Carboni (pictured above) holding a fine Richard Bramble serving plate at the University of Stirling stand in Aviemore. This had been presented to him by SAIC to celebrate the award of additional funding from SAIC to augment those from the Fishmongers’ Company for important work on mussels in conjunction with Fassfern Mussels. For full report see page 19.

Rushan International Oyster Forum

The Editor had the good fortune to visit China by invitation to this 2 day event held in April. A full account is given on pages 16-18. Pictured above with the Mayor of Rushan City, host of the magnificent banquet, from left to right, Dr Kwang-Sik Choi, Prof. Ximing Guo, Dr Maria Haws, the Mayor, Mr Gong Ben Gao, Dr Janet Brown, Dr Steven Robert, Dr Aude Jouaux, Dr Pierre Boudry, Dr Guofan Zhang

Pictured right; At the ASSG stand Janet Brown, John Hamilton, Nick Lake and Alan Mackenzie. Below right; Aquaculture UK provided a great meetings opportunity. The Editor interrupted one such - a meeting of the DEEP oyster restoration project with from left Tristan Hugh-Jones, John Hamilton, Dr Bill Sanderson, Peter Murphy (UK Water Ltd/Poseidon Resource Ltd.) working with Glenmorangie with Glenmorangie staff, Hamish Torrie and Dr Peter

Nelson. For more information on DEEP see January 2018

issue of The Grower or http://bit.ly/DEEPGMfilm

http://bit.ly/DEEPGMfilm

Shellfish win prizes at Aquaculture UK · shellfish and is sent electronically all over the world...

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