BC Shellfish Growers Association

Hot off the hard-drive!  In this issue, we invite you to read about our recent successful annual R&D workshop and Gala Awards dinner, many current issues that the BCSGA is working with, updates on current scientific and innovation projects, an announcement from DFO Ottawa – Aquaculture Management Directorate on a new Aquaculture Sector Strategies effort… and much more!  Click here for Tidelines Fall 2008 or the front-page image below to view the PDF copy and enjoy…

Seed Shortage?

1/2″ & 3/4″ Pacific Oyster seed available immediately. Call Sean at (250) 757 9304.

A next generation deepwater raft has been designed and built by Keith Reid, one of the leading innovators in the BC shellfish farming industry.  A common raft design found throughout the industry in BC is the “Odyssey Raft”, but this old design of Keith’s has been modified and improved upon.  Significant improvements include: (1) massively increased strength (a result of beefed-up and larger dimensional lumber) which will allow it to better withstand harsh weather and waves, (2) incorporation of ‘off-the-shelf’ roto-molded (rigid) flotation and hardware (available from BCSGA member company Barr Plastics), and (3) a logical construction plan that allows for component replacement (i.e. a rotted beam or perimeter board) without having to scrap and rebuild the whole raft.

We are calling this the “Next-Generation Odyssey Raft” because it is anticipated to have a much longer lifespan than the previous design.  Check the photos below (click to enlarge) of the raft being constructed in Keith’s shop.  It will be launched and put into service with minimal fanfare next week (however, the fanfare is in this website post, and another story forthcoming in next week’s Tidelines Newsletter).

  

   

The BCSGA is grateful to Keith Reid for his offer to provide this design free of charge to BCSGA member companies. With funding assistance from the joint CSR-BCSGA Raft Design Innovations Project (DFO AIMAP funding), we have arranged to have official CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawings made, along with a detailed parts list – this design will be an excellent advancement of the BC shellfish farming industry in terms of our Environmental Stewardship Initiative.

Edgewater Foods International Signs $2 Million Scallops Order With Fanny Bay Oyster Co., a Division of Taylor Shellfish Farms (Click here to link to MarketWatch Press Release).

GAITHERSBURG, MD, Nov 06, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — Edgewater Foods International, Inc. (EDWT 0.10, -0.04, -28.6%) , the first fully integrated shellfish producer with the largest private marine research hatchery in Canada, announced today that the Company has signed a $2 million order with Fanny Bay Oyster Co., a division of Taylor Shellfish Farms of Shelton, Wash., an international seafood distributor and the largest shellfish company on the West Coast.

The order is for more than 800,000 lbs. of Edgewater’s proprietary Pacific scallops to be delivered to Fanny Bay over the next 13 months. The order includes live scallops, fresh scallop meat and frozen scallops to be farmed in Edgewater Foods’ Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, operation, and packaged and delivered in various scallop products (including live in-the-shell, frozen half-shell and fresh meat).

The Pacific scallop is a special scallop which can grow to more than one pound and is largely disease resistant. Island Scallops Ltd, a subsidiary of Edgewater Foods International, is the sole source of Qualicum Beach scallop seed in the world and will be providing these unique scallops to Fanny Bay.

Robert Saunders, Chairman and CEO, Edgewater Foods International, said, “This is the largest order Edgewater has received to date and confirms the unique high quality scallop that we have worked so hard to develop. We are very pleased to be working with Taylor Shellfish Company, and we look forward to working with the management of Fanny Bay in preparing and delivering this order. We anticipate that this will be the start of a long term relationship with Taylor Shellfish which will benefit both our companies. Scallops have become increasingly popular with the general public. As we at Edgewater expand our farms and processing capabilities, we will expand our scallops into new markets in North America and abroad.”

In April 2008 Edgewater Foods received approval from the British Columbia Government to convert its largest scallop farm to off-bottom growing. This change in farming operation has provided the Company with the potential to add more than 20 million scallops to its annual harvest cycle when the build is completed. (more…)

November 9th, 2008.  Source: houmatoday.com. 

HOUMA — Louisiana oysters contain a substance that could help prevent and treat cancer, LSU researchers say. Fat compounds called ceramides, found in oysters as well as plants and other animals, are being used in clinical trials to speed the healing process in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

“This is incredibly exciting,” said Jack Losso, a researcher in the LSU AgCenter Department of Food Science. “When we looked at cancer cells treated with ceramides, their growth had been inhibited, and they were dying.”

Losso said his research has found that ceramides in oysters can restrict blood-vessel growth and development of breast-cancer cells in test tubes and blood vessels in rats. By preventing the formation of blood vessels, the substance keeps cancer cells from multiplying because they can’t grow without nutrients from the blood.

Breast-cancer cells come in two types: hormone-dependent and hormone-independent, Losso said in a news release issued last week. Hormone-dependent cells appear early, while hormone-independent cells appear later and are more difficult to treat. “They can grow on their own without hormone stimulation,” he said of the independent cells. “But when put in contact with ceramide, tumors begin dying within 48 hours.”

In lab rats treated with oyster ceramides, blood-vessel growth that simulates cancer-cell growth and proliferation was reduced by 57 percent in seven days. No toxicity to the animals was reported. Although the rats received concentrated ceramide injections, the compound can just as easily be taken orally in pill form, Losso said. Conceivably, an oyster-rich diet could aid in cancer prevention. (more…)

The BCSGA is either a partner in, or an arms-length supporter of various research and industrial development projects.  Some of these are highlighted on this website, such as recently, the Environmental Assessment of Mechanical vs Hand Harvest of Intertidal Manila Clams.  Another recent project is a Red Rock Crab Predator Management Techniques for Intertidal Shellfish Culture, partially funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s new Aquaculture Innovations and Market Access Program (AIMAP).

Project Background: Intertidal shellfish culture is under intense predation from the Red Rock Crab. This project will fabricate four styles of a “U” shaped trench that will be installed as a sub-surface barrier to crabs. The subject area (within the boundaries of the shellfish farm tenure) will be contained within the trench, seeded with oysters, and compared against an adjacent non-treated area also seeded with oysters to determine predation trials. The trench section parallel to the low-water mark will have “T” intersections that will empty towards deepwater, where it is expected that the crabs will exit back to the ocean. The other subject of the trials will determine if the crabs can leave the trench easily and therefore become a non-lethal solution to predator management. This may be a sustainable solution that minimizes impact on the predator, and may greatly increase the productivity for intertidal shellfish culture.

The photos below show a rough (not to scale) diagram of the pilot project installation, and a photo of the trench installed.

     

While the BCSGA is not a direct partner on this project, we support the work in principal.  The proponent anticipates that this will be an effective non-lethal predator management strategy for certain intertidal beaches.  Call the BCSGA office (250) 890 7561 if you have any questions about this or any other projects and progress in the BC shellfish farming industry

Some time was spent purging and adding to this website today, so here’s bunch of things that I hope will be useful to visitors.  Firstly, fresh off the desk of the statistics office at the BC Ministry of Environment is the 2007 BC Seafood Industry Year in Review Document (Click here for PDF), which outlines all seafood production statistics… in particular, cultured shellfish details are on page 6 & 7, but there’s intersting information throughout.  Click the cover page image below (or the link above) for a PDF copy of the report.

Also, noteworthy on this website are a few new classified ads, the event calendar was updated, and a new page was created which lists all BCSGA member shellfish processors.  Have a look around the site, and stay tuned for some more interesting posts in the near future!

By all accounts, the 2008 BCSGA Annual R&D Workshop / Gala Dinner was a huge success.  The workshop saw about 60 people in attendance for some very interesting discussion.  Thanks to all the presenters and participants.  Stay tuned to our upcoming newsletter (mid-November) for a more detailed workshop report, or contact David at the BCSGA Office.  PDF Files of presenter presentations are provided below.  Missing is the hatchery seed supply discussion panel, but our technical experts are even working on video editing and you may expect an updated post here in the next few days.

Andy Thomson (DFO Aquaculture Management – Pacific Region) – Aquaculture 2012

Robin Downey (Executive Director, Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association)

Don Tillapaugh (Director, Centre for Shellfish Research)

Dr Steve Cross – Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture (SEA System), UVic CART, Pacific SEA-Lab

Gary Borstad (Borstad Associates) – Satellite Derived Oceanographic Products For Shellfish Aquaculture

David Cassis (UBC Earth & Ocean Sciences) – Effect of Depth Manipulation on Oyster Growth & Mortality

Elan Downey (Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences) – Mollusc Health Management

David McCallum (BCSGA) – Mechanical Clam Harvester Project Photos

Dave Nikleva (Below Sea Level Oysters) – Red Rock Crab Predation Project

The Gala Dinner was a huge success as well, with motivating key-note speakers, hilarious entertainment and an excellent awards presentation.  We would like to thank Provincial MLA Stan Hagen (BC Minister of Agriculture & Lands – photo below at right with Roberta) and Federal MP John Duncan (Vancouver Island North – photo at left with Tom Broadley) for their kind words and support for the BC shellfish farming industry.

  

Annually, the BCSGA provides seven Industry Awards to the most deserving companies and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the shellfish aquaculture community and industry.  The award presenters and awardees are in the photos below.  Congratulations to all!  Click on the photos to enlarge.

Shellfish Aquaculture Business of the Year – Evening Cove Oysters.  Award presented by Richard Hardy (Pentlatch Seafoods) to Andrew Dryden (ECO).

Shellfish Industry Individual Leadership Award – Duncan Williams (ED, Regional Operations, ILMB).  Award Presented by Tom Broadley.

Most Innovative Company or Individual – Island Scallops (Rob Saunders).  Award presented by Keith Reid.

Environmental Stewardship Award – Ed Bereziak for his clean-up efforts in Okeover Inlet.  Award presented by Yves Perreault (Little Wing Oysters).

Shellfish Aquaculture Pioneer Hall of Fame – Bob Paquin of Okeover Inlet for his lifelong contribution industrial development. Award presented by Chris Day (Taylor Shellfish Canada).

Rookie Sponsor of the Year Award – Francis Tran for his efforts at assisting to bring workers to BC from Vietnam under the foreign worker program.  Award proudly presented by Roberta Stevenson.

Student of the Year Excellence Award – David Cassis for his rigourous science and excellent communication of results back to industry.  Award proudly presented by David McCallum

Wanted: Dark Sea Trays, and Northwest Plastics 16″ black balls, dead or alive.  Call Ralph or Liz at 1 (877) 999 7266 or (250) 383 7213.  Email at alltemp@shaw.ca

BCSGA’s good friend and one of our official cover girls, Rachel Roberts recently gave birth to a healthy new baby boy… named Morgan.  Cute eh!  Congrats Rachel and see you soon!