Tag oysters

The technical director for the U.K. seafood industry authority, Seafish, talks to the Advocate about the challenges facing aquaculture expansion and why it will be seafood that fills the protein gap that many are expecting in the future. 

Bivalve shellfish culture is a low-impact form of protein production, and in many cases is a net-positive for water quality. So why move it indoors? Smit & Smit in the Netherlands has a good argument for doing so. 

Two New England shellfish producers are furthering their innovative social license initiatives, both in their hometowns and in food-insecure regions overseas. Island Creek Oysters and Matunuck Oyster Farm have become admirable aquaculture ambassadors. 

The executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association talks to the Advocate about the diverse and growing industry in his state (oysters, mussels, kelp, eels and salmon) and how aquaculture should be used as a rural development tool. 

Pathogenic noroviruses have been identified in shellfish from various countries in Europe. The major cause of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in humans, norovirus infection is transmitted three main ways, led by consumption of shellfish. 

Epidemiological studies have estimated that noroviruses are responsible for 60 percent to 80 percent of all foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis worldwide. Consumption of shellfish is one of three main transmission routes of norovirus infection. 

Practical post-harvest oyster processing methods are needed. Preliminary studies evaluated the potential of high-salinity relaying to control Vibrio levels in raw oysters. 

A pilot study on the sensory properties of Pacific oysters and abalone conducted at the CSIRO Sensory Laboratory in Australia found differences among the samples produced in different growing conditions and regions. 

Juvenile blue crabs prefered floats containing three-dimensional structure provided by oysters and shells, which helped provide refuge from predators. 

A whole genome sequence allows the identification of candidate genes responsible for production and performance traits for a given species. Ongoing genome projects include programs for Atlantic salmon, Atlantic cod, Pacific oysters, tilapia, catfish and shrimp. 

The levels of harmful Vibrio bacteria – a pathogen that multiplies at higher temperatures – in raw oysters depend largely on post-harvest handling. 

Various techniques have been proposed to reduce Vibrio bacteria in live and processed oysters. In studies, X-ray treatments successfully reduced Vibrio populations. 

In recent decades, mass summer mortality in oyster aquaculture has become widespread, with 50 percent of crops lost in a given year. Losses are often associated with spawning, which is normally seasonal but highly temperature-dependent. 

Most of the shellfish industry in Portugal is located on the country’s southern coast, where the production is dominated by the grooved carpet shell clam, followed by Japanese and Portuguese cupped oysters, and mussels. 

A project between an oyster hatchery and a university is working on a selective-breeding program for silver- or gold-lip pearl oysters in Indonesia.