BC Shellfish Growers Association

“TOTTEN INLET VIRGINICA” FROM PUGET SOUND JUDGED BEST TASTING OYSTER AT EAST COAST SHELLFISH GROWER’S ASSN. FIRST ANNUAL INVITATIONAL OYSTER CHALLENGE IN R.I.

PROVIDENCE. R.I.: “Oyster growers are fiercely fiercely competitive and every grower is convinced their oyster is the best’, says Bob Rheault, President of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. To settle the issue of which East Coast oyster (Crasssostrea virginica) tastes best, the ECSGA and the National Shellfisheries Association asked growers to submit their finest to the First Annual Invitational Oyster Challenge, held in Provincetown, Rhode Island April 7 where 19 varieties from three coasts went head to head in a blind tasting judged by a celebrity panel of some of the country’s most discriminating oyster palates.

While the oysters were judged on a number of characteristics and the Island Creek from Duxbury, Massachusetts came in first overall, when it came to taste, it was an oyster from Washington state, the Totten Inlet Virginica, that prevailed. “Some of our customers have been telling us we have the best tasting oyster”, says Taylor Shellfish Farms President Bill Taylor, “but we are thrilled to have it verified like this by such an esteemed tasting panel.”

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The first storm of the 2007/2008 winter arrived on November 12th.  November 15th, 2007_BCSGA Press Release on Brico Sign and High Winds.

Source: World Wildlife Fund Press Release – October 26, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC: The process for certifying mollusc aquaculture products – which make up one-quarter of the world’s aquaculture production – was set in motion this month as producers, buyers, scientists and others interested in molluscs met in Oregon to discuss standards for an eco-label for oysters, clams, mussels and scallops.

For more information about molluscs and the WWF dialogues, go to www.worldwildlife.org/aquadialogues.

Seattle Times Pacific NW – Taste Section

December 2nd, 2007 – Here’s a great little article about the heritage of farming Oysters and Clams in Totten Inlet, Puget Sound. The article, written by Melissa Trainer is called Harvesting a Heritage and can be viewed by clicking here.

The New York Times – Travel Section

November 18th, 2007 – New York Times Restaurant Critic, Frank Bruni writes about his travels in PEI to visit the shellfish farms and enjoy their produce. Beckoned by Bivalves (click here to link) is another excellent foodie story on fantastic Canadian shellfish.

CBC’s “The Current”

On November 2nd, 2007, CBC Radio 1 (Canada’s National Radio) aired a fantastic story about Oysters on the popular show, “The Current”. Listen to Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association’s Robin Downey, our very own Roberta Stevenson (Executive Director of the BCSGA) and Oyster connoisseur and author Rowan Jacobsen tell it like it is! If you missed it live on the radio this morning, you can download the whole show by visiting The CBC Current website here! Scroll down and click on “Part 3″.

Globe and Mail Coverage and a Geography of Oysters

Here is an excellent article on the front page of the Globe Life section of the Wednesday, October 10th 2007 Globe and Mail newspaper. Congratulations to Brent Petkau (BCSGA member) for inspiring such great press coverage for BC’s fabulous Oysters. With guys like Brent pulling for our industry, the Oyster Revolution is sure to happen!

Photo: Brent Petkau, OysterMan (source: globeandmail.com)

Another apparently great guy is Rowan Jacobsen, writer for The Art of Living magazine and author of the recently published A Geography of Oysters: the Connoisseur’s Guide to Oyster Eating in North America. Rowan was the keynote speaker at last week’s PCSGA meeting and his message is loud and clear. A few quotes from his speech: “Oysters just happen to be the most perfect terroir (a term that roughly means: taste of place) food on the planet.” “Oysters are perhaps the only food so closely associated with place that they are consistently named for the places they come from.” Check out his book, available at your nearest bookstore!

Other News:

October 2nd, 2007 – Swede Crowned “World Oyster-Opening Champion, Fishupdate.com

September 9th, 2007 – Oyster Growers Plan Processing Plant on Homer Spit, Alaska Journal of Commerce.
“More than a dozen small oyster-growing enterprises in the Homer area plan to have their own processing facility up and running on the Homer Spit by summer 2008.”

September 2nd, 2007 – Review of the 2006 PEI Oyster Shucking Championship and Preview of the Upcoming PEI International Shellfish Festival, The Boston Globe.
“The succulent Prince Edward Island oyster is the centerpiece of J.P.’s Shellfish World Invitational Oyster Shucking Championship, the noisiest and most popular event of the three days. Last year’s competition drew 22 shuckers, from North America, Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden – several of them former champions. They had to pry open two dozen oysters cleanly and fast in front of a chanting, roaring crowd and present them appealingly on a platter of rock salt. The finals came down to the local champion, John Bil of Charlottetown, against competitors from Toronto and New England. With keen eyes, sharp knives, and dazzling speed the three finalists wowed the crowd in the giant tent. The winner, William “Chopper” Young from the Wellfleet Oyster Co. on Cape Cod, presented 24 shucked oysters to the judges in just over two minutes and picked up $2,000 in prize money. Young will be back this month to defend his title.”

July 17th, 2007 – Centre for Shellfish Research – article in Fish Farmer Magazine
“The team behind a new shellfish aquaculture research field station in British Columbia says it will set the pace for the future of aquaculture research facilities. The Centre for Shellfish Research (CSR) at Malaspina University-College’s campus is building an off-campus research and training field site in Deep Bay, British Columbia. This new site will include an upland seawater tank farm, laboratory, demonstration shellfish farm and will act as a combination research facility for shellfish aquaculture, marine ecology and water quality. The CSR is a research institute that was established within Malaspina University-College in 2002 that has a 12,000 sq. ft research facility on campus…”

Bivalve Bash raises awareness, money for water quality issues – Seattle Times July 15, 2007

News about the new restaurant raw Oyster regulations
Look Before you Slurp – Eateries in Vancouver Coast Health region to post raw Oyster warnings – Vancouver Sun, July 5 2007. Here’s a new development for restaurants in the Vancouver region. The BCSGA was involved in this process and endorses these new regulations – with caveats.

Restaurants ordered to tell diners of risk – Vancouver Sun, July 6 2007. A follow-up story to above. We endorse the regulation, but do not feel that statements of personal taste are justified in articles such as this.

GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASES:

June 9, 2007 – In June, the Minister of Agriculture & Lands Pat Bell announced a reduction in fees for shellfish tenure applications. Click the following link to open the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Lands Press Release: Tenure Fee Reduction to Boost Shellfish Opportunities (June 9, 2007)

BCSGA PRESS RELEASES:

April 11, 2007 – Earth Day was another great opportunity for BC shellfish farmers to once again, get out and partake in beach clean-ups. Earth Day Beach Clean-Up Planned by Local Shellfish Farmers – Baynes Sound Clean-up Part of Coastwide Industry Effort

May 28, 2007 – Residents in the Baynes Sound area became concerned at the sight of a “red-tide” in the waters. Click the following link to read a BCSGA press release, which eased concerns of residents. Recent Algae Bloom Not Harmful to Shellfish or Humans – Dinoflagillate Noctoluca

In the Spring and Summer of 2007, the BCSGA delivered a pro-active educational program of workshops on Aquatic Invasive Species – specifically invasive biofouling Tunicates and the European green crab. Click the following link to read the press release on these workshops. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Workshops Announcement, May 2007

December 12, 2006 – Winter storms of December wrought havoc on much infrastructure and natural resources, and the shellfish industry was also badly damaged. Winter Storms Endanger Vital Shellfish Industry – Disaster Relief Sought for Coastal Farmers Whose Livelihoods are at Risk

December 18, 2006 – BCSGA was successful in obtaining funds from the province to assist in clean-up efforts to ensure public beaches and waterways are free of lost and broken shellfish farming equipment. Province Helps Shellfish Industry Retrieve Lost & Damaged Equipment – Public Safety Primary Importance