A Regional Shellfish Hatchery For The Wider Caribbean

"It is widely recognized that the development of aquaculture in the Wider Caribbean region is inhibited, in part, by the lack of technical expertise, infrastructure, capital investment and human resources. Furthermore, seed supply for native species relies, for the most part, on natural collection, subject to natural population abundance with wide yearly variations. This situation has led to the current trend of culturing more readily available exotic species, but with a potentially undesirable impact on the natural environment. The centralizing of resources available in the region into a shared facility has been recommended by several expert meetings over the past 20 years. The establishment of a regional hatchery facility, supporting sustainable aquaculture through the seed production of native molluscan species was discussed at the FAO workshop "Regional shellfish hatchery: A feasibility study" held in New Kingston, Jamaica, in October 2010, by representatives of Caribbean governments and experts in the field. Molluscan species are particularly targeted due to their culture potential in terms of known techniques, simple grow-out technology and low impact on surrounding environment. It is proposed that a regional molluscan hatchery would produce seed for sale and distribution to grow-out operations in the region as well as provide technical support for the research on new species. The current document summarizes the findings of the workshop and outlines four follow-up recommendations on steps required for the successful implementation of a regional facility. The positive response of participating Caribbean governments demonstrates the current political will for sustainable aquaculture growth in the region, supported by several national plans including the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Strategic Plan"--Page 4 of cover.

The purpose of this manual is to give the reader a foundation of practical knowledge regarding all aspects of Pacific oyster cultivation. It is targeted at new entrants to the market wishing to establish a farm, and existing operators who wish to develop their farms and explore new cultivation techniques. The methodologies described can be applied both to low-tech, low budget, small-scale farming operations and to high-tech, big budget, industrial-scale aquaculture production enterprises. This guide focuses on the functional expertise and technical equipment required to construct and manage an operational farm in the diverse environmental and physical locations in which they can be situated, from the initial stages of finding and selecting a suitable site, to the conclusion of the first production cycle and harvesting the crop. The manual contains a brief introduction which describes the relevance of the species with regards to global aquaculture production figures and how it can form an important part of future food production strategies. Chapter 2 describes the anatomy and biology of Crassostrea gigas and gives an indication as to the environmental conditions in which the species thrives as well as the pathologies and predators that can result in poor health leading to potential mortalities. Chapter 3 deals with all aspects of undertaking a survey of potential oyster farming sites and what data should be collected and examined to assess a site’s suitability, but also which areas are best suited to different cultivation techniques. After this, Chapter 4 introduces the main farming techniques that will be described in detail in the following chapters, which includes off-bottom cultivation, on-bottom cultivation, and suspended cultivation, and gives details of some of the most common cultivation equipment necessary to undertake these operations. The techniques and strategies necessary to procure seed oysters and how to develop them through the nursery stage are also introduced. This includes the basic principles of upwelling, which then leads into Chapter 5, which provides a detailed description of how to build and operate one particular example of a Floating Upwelling System (Flupsy) which is suitable for use in remote but sheltered conditions. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 constitute the main body of the manual and provide an in-depth look into the three major cultivation techniques that this guide concentrates on: “Farming with trestles and bags in the intertidal zone”, “On-bottom cultivation in the intertidal or subtidal zone” and “Offshore longline cultivation”.

Scallops: Biology, Ecology, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Third Edition, continues its history as the definitive resource on scallops, covering all facets of scallop biology, including anatomy, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, larval biology, and neurobiology. More than thirty extensive chapters explore both fisheries and aquaculture for all species of scallops in all countries where they are fished or cultured. This treatise has been updated to include the most recent advances in research and the newest developments within the industry. As aquaculture remains one of the fastest-growing animal food-producing sectors, this reference becomes even more vital. It has all the available information on scallops needed to equip researchers to deal with the unique global issues in the field. Offers 30 detailed chapters on the development and ecology of scallops Provides chapters on various cultures of scallops in China, Japan, Scandinavia, Europe, Eastern North America, and Western North America Includes details of scallop reproduction, nervous system, and behavior, genetics, diseases, parasites, and much more Completely updated edition with valuable information on one of the most widely distributed shellfish in the world