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Shellfish Aquaculture in Massachusetts...continued
September 2000
Current Problems and Possible Solutions
Currently, there are three major issues confronting the shellfish
aquaculture industry
in Massachusetts: lack of knowledge and understanding of the industry
by the general public, multiple use conflicts in the coastal zone,
and disease. A 1999 industry survey conducted by the Massachusetts
Department of Food and Agriculture (MDFA) found that many aquatic
farmers identified an overall lack of understanding of their industry
by the general public as their primary concern. As a result, public
education has been identified as a high priority area for future
efforts designed to
support the industry by the state aquaculture coordinator and the
MDFA. Education covers a range of programs, from demonstration projects
and technological workshops for the industry to public relations
and introductory education for the general public. The aquaculture
industry in Massachusetts, through the state’s industry survey
process, believes that such education efforts offer the greatest
potential for changes in the public’s attitude toward the
development of an aquaculture industry in the Commonwealth, all
at a relatively low cost.
Conflicts between users of the coastal zone are on the rise as
the industry grows.
Users range from wild shellfish harvesters, who are concerned with
losing fishing
bottom by privatization of the resource areas, to upland owners,
who are concerned that farming activity on the flats will have a
negative impact on the aesthetic value of the coast.
The surf clam is a new candidate for shellfish
aquaculture. A rigid cage (top photo) and a mesh bag (bottom photo)
are two containment options for the commercial grow-out stage. Photos
by Dale Leavitt.
The potential for disease is another chief concern throughout the
industy. The oyster industry must contend with a suite of diseases
specific to oysters -- primarily dermo and MSX -- while quahog growers
are faced with a relatively new disease known as QPX, for quahog
parasite unknown. There is growing support within the industry and
throughout the Commonwealth for developing an organized shellfish
health monitoring program and for increasing disease research by
local scientists to
assist the industry in dealing with this issue in the future. Nationally
and at the local
level, Sea Grant has made significant efforts in providing research
funding for shellfish disease research and offering assistance to
the industry with development of disease management programs.
In order to address all of the concerns with respect to aquaculture
in Massachusetts,
the industry, in collaboration with the SouthEastern Massachusetts
Aquaculture Center (SEMAC), a state funded center resulting from
a collaboration between WHOI Sea Grant, Barnstable County/Cape Cod
Cooperative Extension, and the MA Department of Food and Agriculture,
has embarked on the development of best
management practices, or BMPs. BMPs can be defined as a voluntary
set of operating procedures that promote the development of an industry
using technologies that have a low impact on the natural resources,
yet support good production. Issues to be addressed by the BMPs
have been identified through a public discussion process and recommendations
are being developed by an industry working group. It is hoped that
the product of these discussions, a BMPs manual, will be accepted
by a wide array of groups, including the shellfish farming
industry, the regulatory agencies controlling shellfish farming,
and the non-governmental agencies that serve as watchdogs for the
environment and the rights of property owners.
Industry Concerns
As with any new and expanding industry, the Massachusetts shellfish
farming
industry will be faced with growing pains. Among them:
• There will be an increasing level of space use conflicts
between shellfish farmers
and other users of the coastal zone. What is currently happening
in Massachusetts
will continue to escalate as the coastal zone becomes more populated
and more heavily used for recreational purposes. One possible solution
is for commercial
aquaculture to move onshore or off-shore in order to move away from
multiple use
areas. A second possible solution is to legislate aquaculture areas
within the coastal zone. Such areas would facilitate the permitting
process and minimize
conflicts between the industry and other potential users of the
area.
• The ability for existing hatcheries to supply enough seed
stock for the industry will be tested as the number of growers increases.
Massachusetts had a severe shellfish seed shortage in 1997-98 due
to the failure of one of the primary commercial hatcheries supplying
the Commonwealth. Although a number of new hatcheries have been
started in response to this situation, the stability of the seed
supply is still in question as the industry grows and seed demands
increase.
• There will always be a need for new and improving technology
to keep the industry vital. Such technologies must focus on:
- Alternate shellfish nursery technology: the key to successful
production is a good supply of healthy seed stock at the right
time of the year. By developing better nursery technologies, our
ability to meet this need is greatly enhanced.
- Alternate species development: the shellfish culture industry
in Massachusetts currently relies on two species of bivalve, the
American oyster and the quahog. Expanding the species list would
take the pressure off growers if a particular species suffers
a loss in any given year. Recent losses of farmed quahogs to QPX
in southeastern Massachusetts offer a tragic example of a financial
disaster encountered by growers who focus on a single species.
- Genetic selection: improving the performance of commercially
cultured strains of clams and oysters through genetic selection
and manipulation will provide great benefits to the industry.
Classical genetic selection and the application of genetic techniques
to make the shellfish sterile have the potential for
significant improvements to the growth and survival of cultured
bivalves.
The shellfish aquaculture industry in Massachusetts has been growing
at a rate of 10 percent per year for the past decade. Yet there
is potential for continued development of the industry. With proper
incentives and support for this developing industry, and a concerted
effort to educate the public about shellfish aquaculture, the Massachusetts
shellfish aquaculture industry will continue to provide a high quality
product and significant economic benefits to our coastal communities.
For more information about the research or outreach projects profiled
in Focal Points, contact WHOI Sea Grant at the address shown below.
This Focal Point was prepared by WHOI Sea Grant in collaboration
with Cape Cod Cooperative Extension.
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