BC Shellfish Growers Association

Today at the Fanny Bay Wharf, funding was announced by John Duncan (Federal MP – Vancouver Island North) from Western Economic Diversification to support the BCSGA in a project to promote and strengthen the BC shellfish farming sector.  “Our Government is taking action to promote and strengthen Canadian business.  This investment will support community development and enable our shellfish producers to reach new markets and increase their competitiveness,” said MP Duncan.

Federal funding of $150,000 is being provided under the Community Adjustment Fund as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.  “The monies from the Community Adjustment fund will be used to increase the shellfish industry focus on marketing, public relations, communications, and technology transfer.  The fund will allow the shellfish farmers to become more competetive in the global marketplace, which in turn will create more employment opportunities to meet the increased demand for BC product,” said Roberta Stevenson, Executive Director of the BC Shellfish Growers Association.

In the photo below (from L to R), Roberta Stevenson, MP John Duncan, and BCSGA President Tom Broadley ham it up during the funding announcement on the deck at Fanny Bay Wharf.

And below is some video footage of the announcement, along with some enjoyment of a fresh scallop from the morning’s harvest, delivered to the wharf during the funding announcement by Bruce Evans (Farm Manager for Island Scallops Ltd.).

Recently, we have mentioned a few times on this website and in our Tidelines Newsletters about the importance of knowledge for shellfish farmers to better understand the variables that affect food supply and growth/mortality factors affecting their animals.  We are currently working towards a new project that will combine high technology satellite imagery with in-situ data collected by shellfish farmers themselves from water samples at farmsites – to ultimately create an integrated network that will allow us to potentially predict harmful algae blooms and closures associated with PSP.

Related to this project is our summer 2009 pilot project to monitor the Pendrell Sound Wild Oyster spatfall – and spawning they are and a very large spatfall is predicted for around the 10th – 15th or August.  Check the recent data on Pendrell Sound.

The below image has been shared by Dr Gary Borstad at ASL Borstad Remote Sensing Inc which provides a range of environmental monitoring services.  The image shows sea-surface temperature in the Strait of Georgia for July 22nd – during our recent heat wave. If you can orient yourself, note the back end of Pendrell Sound with a red (hot) colour).