Research as a driver for the development of

Research as a driver for the development of the shellfish sector – a European perspective Gavin Burnell Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Centre, University College Cork, Ireland

The Aquatic Environment - >70% of earths surface Freshwater (< 3%) • Rivers • Resevoirs • Lakes • Ponds • Marine (97%) • Coastal zone • Estuaries • Continental shelf

Typical shellfish on-growing environment

EU shellfish production is static or declining European shellfish production from 1995 - 2004

Some of the reasons for this include: • Overstocking • Disease • Lack of natural spat supply • Invasive species • Poor performance of hatcheries • Public health issues (HABS, sanitation etc) • Lack of sites / conservation issues

1. OVERSTOCKING Examples: • Arcachon, France – Pacific oysters • Bantry Bay, Ireland – mussels

SMILE - Objectives 1. To establish functional models at the lough scale, describing key environmental variables and processes, aquaculture activities and their interactions; 2. To evaluate the sustainable carrying capacity for aquaculture in the loughs, considering interactions between cultivated species, targeting marketable cohorts, and fully integrating cultivation practices; 3. To examine the effects of overexploitation on key ecological variables; 4. To examine bay-scale environmental effects of different culture strategies. (Joao Ferreira, AFBI, IMAR)

Carrying capacity definitions and SMILE solution Physical Bathymetry, morphology: GIS models Current speed and direction: Delft 3 D Model Production Individual shellfish growth: Shell. SIM, Win. Shell models Population growth: D 3 D-Shell. SIMEco. Win 2000 framework Ecological Ecosystem response - plankton, nutrients: E 2 K Model Wild species, reefs: E 2 K-GIS resource partitioning. Watershed management strategies: SWAT-E 2 K Social The SMILE team has addressed this in China at the system scale, and in ECASA at the local scale using the FARM model. Not explicitly considered in SMILE

Delft 3 D Run Delft 3 D for large domain (Western Irish Sea and four loughs) using a fine grid (each lough has hundreds of cells) Define larger boxes (<50) within the loughs with GIS for E 2 K using (I) current and bathymetry data (ii) WFD (iii) aquaculture distribution Use D 3 D to calculate water fluxes across these larger boxes at 30 m intervals, and at the seaward boundary of the lough domain – supply these offline as spreadsheets Hydrodynamic transport simulated in E 2 K by reading these spreadsheet files during an E 2 K model run Modelling framework Eco. Win 2000 Enter larger box areas, volumes etc from GIS into E 2 K Implement individual growth model in E 2 K, test, and then add population dynamics Run full E 2 K model, calibrate and validate Management scenarios Extract E 2 K initial conditions for state variables in each box, boundary conditions and calibration data Measure individual shellfish growth rates in the field Shell. SIM Simulate individual shellfish physiology using a raceway model Use results to conceptualise an energy budget model for individual growth Implement and validate individual growth model in Stella or other simple modelling package Prepare a water quality database including both the individual lough and inputs from freshwater and ocean boundaries (measurements)

Carlingford Lough 320 boxes 8 s layers Eco. Win 2000 ecological model 38 boxes 2 σ layers Delft 3 D Hydrodynamic model A much coarser grid is used in biogeochemical models than in hydrodynamic models.

Carlingford Lough - Scenario with and without wild species With wild species 1600 1200 Production 1600 Mussels 11. 5 1300 9. 2 800 5. 2 400 0 4. 9 320 280 Mussels Oysters % reduction Mussel Oyster Production 19% 12. 5% Individual weight 20% Length (cm) Oysters 82. 1 62. 4 24% Individual length Weight (g) 9. 2% 5. 8% 9. 8 Weight (g) 8. 9 Length (cm) Both mussel and oyster production are higher when resource partitioning with wild species is not considered.

2. DISEASES Examples: • Summer mortality in Pacific oysters – France • Abalone viral Ganglioneuritis - Australia

INTERREG 3 A: Summer mortality of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in the Irish Sea Culloty, S. 1 Cotter E. 1, Malham S. 2, O’Keeffe S. 1, Lynch S. 1, King J. 2, Latchford J. 2, Beaumont A 2. 1 Dept. Zoology, Ecology & Plant Science, Aquaculture & Fisheries Development Centre/ERI, University College Cork 2 School of Ocean Sciences, Centre for Applied Marine Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor

Conclusions: Multi-factorial causes of Summer Mortality High H 2 O Temperatures Phytoplankton Blooms Increased food consumption Nutrient Enrichment Bacterial breakdown Reduced O 2 + Oyster O 2 demands = Excessive Gonad development Oyster Stress Herpes virus Vibrios Summer Mortality

EU CRAFT Projects (Rtds and Sme’s) • 1998 -2000: Comparative genetic structure in populations of Ostrea edulis, including growth and potential to resistance to Bonamia ostreae (EU CRAFT CT 98 -9101) • 2003 -2005: Bonamia ostreae life cycle investigations, optimised production of resistant Ostrea edulis spat and studies of the oyster (Ostrea edulis) immune mechanisms (EU CRAFT Q 5 CR 2002 -72238) • RTD: Ireland, Netherlands, Spain • SME: Scotland, Ireland, Spain, France, Netherlands • Scottish Association of Shellfish Growers (CT 98 -9101)

3. LACK OF NATURAL SPAT SUPPLY Examples: • Mussel seed – Irish Sea, Netherlands • Pacific oyster – French Atlantic coast

Management of Irish Sea mussel seed Marine Institute, NDP, 2003 - 2007 Ø Reproduction – UCC (coordination) Ø Recruitment – UCD Ø Hydrodynamic modelling – Aquafact and Seabed Surveys Ø Alternative sources of seed – QUB Ø Management strategies - ALL

The Irish Sea mussel seed fishery (tonnes) Ø 2003 – 35, 236 Ø 2004 – 24, 147 Ø 2005 - 14, 861 Ø 2006 - 23, 544 (source – DCMNR, BIM, DARD)

Seed supply limited by conservation issues Waddensea Coastal zone Delta

4. INVASIVE SPECIES Examples: • Manila clams – Italy • Pacific oysters – Netherlands

Introduced farmed species may “naturalise” and displace native species, eg. Manila clam in Italy

5. Public Health Concerns • Harmful algal blooms • Dioxins • Sewage

What are the key issues for shellfish research in other research centres and institutes?

Maine Sea Grant, Shellfish Aquaculture Research Priorities Index of shellfish aquaculture research priorities Priority 1 - Production Techniques Priority 2 - Public Relations Priority 3 - Shellfish Health Priority 4 - Marketing Priority 5 - Leasing Issues Priority 6 - Sustainable Aquaculture Priority 7 - Coastal Development Priority 8 - New Species Priority 9 - Genetics and Broodstock Development Priority 10 - Industry Communications Priority 11 - Government Relations and Initiatives Priority 12 - Funding Priority 13 - Student and Work Force Education

Center for Shellfish Research, Vancouver Island, Canada Ecological Interactions Research Program investigates sustainable shellfish practices ensuring that environmental protection and a vibrant industry go hand-in-hand; Shellfish Health and Husbandry Research Program undertakes research projects to improve productivity and economic viability to drive new investment, expansion and diversification in the industry; and Social Sciences Research Program facilitates interdisciplinary research to ensure social health and benefits to coastal communities.

Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand Greenshell mussel selective breeding Mussel spat fitness and environmental tolerance Aneuploidy and triploidy Probiotics Mussel hatchery

IFREMER, France – mollusc programme • summer mortality in cupped oysters • to breed Bonamia-tolerant strains • four-season ( triploid ) oysters • managing reproduction under controlled conditions • the functioning of aquaculture ecosystems • product quality and value enhancement

Scale of research Area Duration Example Local 6 – 12 mths Mortality/Pollution Regional variable Eider duck National 3 - 7 yrs HABS EU (near mkt. ) 3 yrs Summer mort. (C. gigas) EU (blue sky) 3 yrs Sustainable production

Future developments: EU “A strategy for the sustainable development of European Aquaculture” (19 -9 -2002 COM [2002] 511 Final)

Sustainable aquaculture • Substainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without comprimising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs • (The U. N. Brundtland Commission, 1987)

to increase employment by 8, 00010, 000 fulltime job equivalents in 2003 -2008

to promote quality assurance and high animal health and welfare standards (“Mollusc Aquaculture Dialogue”, WWF, 2008)

EU support to aquaculture RTD in FP 6 (2002 -2006): New success stories

FP 6 Shellfish Projects Genetics Disease Environment Aquafirst Aquagenome Aquafunc Dipnet Panda Imaquanim Woper Genimpact Impasse Keyzones Ecasa HABS Production Detectox Biotoxmarin Spies Detox Blue Seed

FP 6 Harvest time: GENIMPACT http: //genimpact. imr. no/

Disease FP 6 Harvest time: DIPNET D http: //www. dipnet. info/ Review of disease interactions and pathogen exchange between farmed and wild finfish and shellfish in Europe Position paper on need and methodologies for consequence assessment within risk assessments in aquatic animal health Risk assessment and predictive modelling – a review of their application in aquatic animal health www. easonline. org

E. I. A. FP 6 Harvest time: ECASA The final version of the Toolbox can be found at http: //www. ecasatoolbox. org. uk . www. easonline. org

Challenges at EU level for aquaculture research ØIncrease knowledge base (Aberdeen declaration) and facilitate the uptake of the results to reduce the gap between knowledge generated and translation to market opportunities (The European aquaculture paradox Ø Stimulate articulation between regional, national and EU RTD programmes Ø Ensure transparency, relevance and stakeholders involvement in RTD programming Ø Critical mass of research

The European ‘paradox’ « while European research laboratories perform relatively highly in publications and citations, there is a lack of an environment that stimulates innovation and exploits results » Source: European Commission 1995 Green Paper on Innovation www. easonline. org

Key Performance Indicators Growers tonnage / profit ASSG members / issues solved Varsity scientist grants /Ph. Ds/papers Government scientist ditto / ? ? ? EAS conf. / members/grants AQUATT grants EU jobs / self sufficiency

European Aquaculture Networks • Scientists/Institutes – ESF, NACEE, EFARO, No. E and many others • Education – EAS, Aqua. TT, Aqua. TNet • Producers – FEAP, EMPA • Feed manufacturers - FEFAC • Retailers - EUREPGAP • Consumers – BEUC, Euroconsumers But how well does each know (and work with) the others? www. easonline. org

European Aquaculture Society Founded in 1976, as the European Mariculture Society Name changed in 1986 to www. easonline. org

EAS membership • Profile 1995 – 85% scientists (public or private) • Profile 2005 – 45% scientists – 35% industry (producers, suppliers…) – 20% other stakeholders (students, govt. employees etc. ) www. easonline. org

EAS Objectives • to promote contacts between all involved in aquaculture; • to facilitate the dissemination of aquaculture-related information; • to promote multi-disciplinary aquaculture research; • to enhance cooperation between organisations and individuals on aquaculture related matters. Bringing people together! www. easonline. org

Aquaculture Europe A new concept. A new logo. new www. easonline. org

EAS conferences including industry workshops

EAS projects

towards protocols for sustainable aquaculture in Europe

Strategic objective « to provide and demonstrate to consumers the benefits of high quality, safe and nutritious farmed fish and shellfish grown in sustainable conditions »

9 themes - 78 indicators

The 17 shellfish sustainability indicators 1. Improve recognition of public health benefits 2. Economically sustainable shellfish production 3. Improved quality of industry statistics 4. Ensure the availability of skilled work force 5. Strengthen/diversity the market 6. A development plan for sustainable shellfish aquaculture 7. Protect and improve environmental resources used by producers 8. Keep within the carrying capacity of the ecosystem 9. Sufficient hatchery supply of spat 10. Sustainable use of natural spat 11. Transparent site selection process for production 12. Adoption of Best Management Practices 13. Communicate the environmental and socio-economic benefits 14. Encourage use of extractive species in polycuture 15. Well informed consumers 16. Improvement of legislative tools and regulation processes 17. Sustainable shellfish aquaculture prioritised by EU

Response of European Mollusc Producers to CONSENSUS The EMPA position appeared to be that they could not accept the majority of the 17 Indicators, as several were the responsibility of non-farm operators, would not recommend development of any Code of Conduct within the framework of CONSENSUS, and proposed, as cultivated molluscan shellfish are naturally ‘organic’, that no recommendation on the issue of eco-labelling for such products should be written into CONSENSUS. 24 th April 2008.

The Working Group members reviewed all 17 Indicators, and concluded that : - they continued to represent the most appropriate measures of sustainability for the European molluscan shellfish sector - their continued validity should be formally endorsed; It was agreed that there was a clear role for industry representatives and trade associations to play, in lobbying for improved legislation, upgraded pollution prevention, greater recognition of the sector’s marginal environmental impact, more appropriate implementation of Regulations and Directives, etc. .

EAS publications

Aquaculture International • • • Peer reviewed Bimonthly Impact factor General papers Special editions Published by Springer AQUI is an option for EAS members

AE magazine • • Quarterly (48 pages) Feature Articles Short articles News Meeting reports Books & other publications EAS member news All ‘full’ EAS members receive Aquaculture Europe

EASinfo – our newsletter • Quarterly (between issues of the magazine) • Short articles • News • Meeting dates • Links • EAS member news For all EAS members (including e-members)

(examples of) EAS Projects • Aqua. Flow - RTD results in 16 languages • PROFET - industry sets the RTD agenda • IMPACT FISH - impact of EU RTD • CONSENSUS - sustainable aquaculture protocols • Aquainnovation - innovation between east and west • CRAB - collective research on biofouling • PROFET Policy - scientific support to policy www. easonline. org

EAS opportunities & challenges • Further diversify membership – More from industry sector – Develop membership in CEE countries – strengthen its student forum • Increase cooperation through communication – with other aquaculture partners – with consumer organisations • Euroshell – a new network of shellfish researchers (Aad Smaal, IMARES) www. easonline. org

Challenges for RTD/Industry cooperation • European aquaculture probably still suffers from the European ‘paradox’.

• Producers need to look at the big picture and consider issues like sustainability and climate change • Scientists need to review success measurements that are based only on peer-reviewed, high-impact journals. Both need to have common fora to promote contacts and align industry needs with research programming.

Future research topics? Off-shore production is possible, but dilution not the answer!

Better use of resources through integrated multi trophic aquaculture eg use of molluscs and seaweeds to reduce nutrient load from agricultural run-off, sewage, and fish farms

Research will support shellfish production by: • Security and quality of seed • Optimising use of space - tools • Reducing risks to the consumer • Acceptance as a green industry