European Oyster Culture

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European Oyster Culture Prepared by André
Mallet Mallet Research Services Ltd.
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Species Overview

• Biological overview
• Life span gt20 years
• Age at maturity 24-36 months
• Age at market 36 to 48 months
• Distribution
• One naturalized population in southern NB and
  specimens can be found in low concentrations
  throughout Nova Scotia
• Natural distribution - Europe
• Global tonnage
• 5,000 to 10,000 MT worldwide mostly France,
  Ireland and England
• US cultured and wild products

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Research and Development

• Establish reliable seed supply
• Atlantic Canadian hatcheries at several locations
  have not been capable of maintaining a steady
  supply of seed
• In certain zones, high mortality of seed in the
  field has been noted
• Still unexplained large-scale hatchery failures
• Understand the production issues
• Still unexplained large-scale mortality of
  market-sized products
• Improve shelflife

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The case

• Status of commercialization
• In Canada, one operation which harvests from
  natural recruitment ( 50,000 oysters annually)
  and one hatchery which is experimenting with seed
  production
• At one point, there were numerous commercial
  operations in Nova Scotia, but most have stopped
  the production of European oysters
• Market outlook
• Excellent for whole live market
• Farmgate from 0,50 to 0,65 per unit, depending
  on size plant price _at_ 0,75 to 1,00 each

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The case (continued)

• Operation considerations
• Seed must be produced in the hatchery
  presently, only one seed supplier with a capacity
  of 1 million seed
• Seed mortality can be very high either in the
  hatchery or in the field
• Near market-sized oysters have experienced high
  mortality in the field
• This species does not tolerate extended periods
  of cold (lt0C) temperature if left under the ice
  for wild holding, one can expect massive
  mortality
• Most shallow inshore commercial sites located in
  NB, PEI and northern NS would NOT be suitable to
  grow this species unless the stock is
  overwintered in wet holding facility

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The case (continued)

• Economic projections
• 1.5 tonnes per hectare per year
• Farmgate revenues per hectare 30,000 per ha
• 2 person year for 5 ha farm

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Pro/Con Assessment

• Pro
• Excellent marketing opportunities high demand
  for this product with high price
• Can be produced in tunicate-infested areas
• Con
• Not dependable because
• High unexplained seed mortality in the hatchery
• High unexplained seed mortality in the field
• High unexplained mortality of near market-sized
  oysters
• Need to extend shelflife presently 6 days from
  harvest
• I believe we will eventually succeed at producing
  the flat oysters however,
• First need to understand the causes of mortality

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Is this species ready for commercialization?

• NO!!!,
• but targeted RD activities on the species should
  be maintained because there is to be made if
  one succeeds