BC Shellfish Growers Association

I just wanted to give visitors to our website a heads up on a few things that are here, but can be buried at the back-end of the site.

I just posted an updated Wastewater Management Guidelines for Floating Accommodations Near Shellfish Farms -located at BCSGA Home > Industry Resources > Additional Reports & Documents > Engineering Guidelines for Floathome Accommodations.

Recently the topic of Aquatic Invasive Species has come up in my work – we potentially have a new AIS funding proposal to DFO’s ACRDP program, and in discussions with industry about the problems created by various invasive tunicates.  In 2007, the BCSGA completed an excellent Aquatic Invasive Species outreach interpretive project (funded by Environment Canada – IASPP).  This page located at BCSGA Home > Research & Development > AIS Outreach Project.

Also, a new Comox Valley Shellfish Fetival website (www.comoxvalleyshellfishfestival.ca) has been created, which has a pretty cool photo gallery and video archive.  Check it out!

Stand by for our next Tidelines newsletter being released in a couple weeks’ time.

I am writing to let you know about the seed products our hatchery will have available this year because I keep hearing that BC growers are in desperate need of seed yet we rarely have more than one or two orders from BC per year.  Perhaps this is because your growers are not aware of our hatchery.  We only have diploid pacific oysters, belon oysters, manila clams, geoduck clams, and possibly kumo oysters.  I know we don’t have any trouble shipping oysters or manilas across the border.

Click here for Lummi Shellfish Operations 2009 Seed Price List

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Lizzie Oberlander, Manager
Lummi Shellfish Operations (Click here for Website)
2616 Kwina Road
Bellingham WA 98226
office: 360-384-2303
cell: 360-296-3488
fax: 360-380-1205

There were two news stories (in addition to the A News video story posted below) last week of particular interest to the BC shellfish industry.

The first is a result of a press conference at Vancouver Island University on Friday February 27th, the Nanaimo Daily News printed an article entitled ‘Sleeping Giant’ Industry Gets Technological Boost – VIU Develops New Equipment for the Aquaculture Sector.  Congratulations to Dave Nikleva (BCSGA Member) on the success of his Red Rock Crab Predator Management projec, and to the Centre for Shellfish Research on their Deepwater Raft Innovations project.  Both of these projects were funded by DFO’s Aquaculture Innovations and Market Access Program.

The second news story, printed in the Comox Valley Echo also on February 27th, addresses community concerns over a proposed development at Union Bay that has caused concern among some groups about potential negative impacts to the marine environment.  In the article, Marine Hazard Concerns over Proposed Golf Course, Pat McLaughlin (Denman Island Marine Stewardship Committee) mentions concerns on how this development may negatively impact the Baynes Sound shellfish industry.

Unrelated to BC shellfish farming, but a particularly captivating story to follow, an update on which was published in the Point Reyes Light (California) newspaper on February 26th.  The Drakes Bay Oyster Company is being pressured to move it’s operations out of Drakes Bay (to Tomales Bay) in the interest of National Wilderness.  You make your own determination of fairness on this one!  Very interesting story entitled, No Parity and Equality for Oyster Farm.