1. business and industrial
2. agriculture and forestry
3. aquaculture

The Grower — 1
The Grower
Newsletter for the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers
April 2015
Shellfish conferences like
busses
Not all readers will get the significance of the busses on the front page of The Grower.
But it is to illustrate the point of waiting a whole year for a shellfish conference and then
3 turn up at the same time! This is what will be happening in October. How can that
happen? In the case of the ASSG Annual Conference the date we have held our
conference in the beginning of October was not available this year because Oban is
hosting the Gaelic MOD, meaning no venue or accommodation would be available for us
so our conference will be held 22-23 October. But also at this time, in Rotterdam the
European Aquaculture Society will be holding their meeting which will feature a lot of
shellfish content since Aad Smaal is organising that part and also the 6th Oyster
Symposium will be taking place in Cape Cod. Take your pick – the world is your oyster.
INSIDE THIS 20
PAGE ISSUE
3
CEO’s Column
Dutch Shellfish
Conference
5
Shellfish
representation
6-8
All about 9-12
CACHE
Bonamia ostreae infection
reported in Denmark
20 cases of sub-clinical infections with Bonamia ostreae have been reported in native
oysters, Ostrea edulis in 2 parts of the Lijmfjord in Denmark. 2 cases were reported for
an area in Veno Sund and 18 from Salling Sund near Glyngøre, Mors. The report does
not indicate from where the infection may have originated. This is devastating news for
anyone who is concerned for the recovery of native oyster stocks in which process the
Lijmfjord was a leading light.
The Grower is a quarterly newsletter edited by Janet H. Brown, The Shellfish Team, 2
Annfield Grove, Stirling, FK8 2BN [email protected]
For membership of ASSG contact CEO Dr Nick Lake, Mendosa, Court Hill Road, Rosemarkie, Black
Isle, Ross-shire, IV10 8UE [email protected]
For further information see our web site at www.assg.org.uk
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official
view of the Association
Seen on TV
Inverlussa
13
Climate change
and oysters
1415
From the EU and
conferences
17
FSA
18
Norovirus
19
Photos
20
Advertising
The
Grower
is
distributed to all
members of the
ASSG and is also
available online at
www.assg.org.uk
Why
don’t
you
consider advertising
to our specialist
readership?
The Grower — 2
Marine conservation and Native oysters
More information on this excellent triennial
conference advertised below and held in the historic and
picturesque city of Stralsund is available at
www.bfn.de/21601+M52087573ab0.html
A message from the organiser of this conference
Henning von Nordheim to the Grower said “You may
be interested in announcing the German version of our
feasibility study for the restoration of Ostrea edulis in
the North Sea — see
www.bfn.de/0314_meeres-kuesten_naturschutz.html
An English version is under preparation. The
findings from the feasibility study are basically
favourable towards restoration particularly to
concentrate this in protected areas and suggesting wind
farms as potential sites and there is a possibility that a
meeting to discuss taking this forward will take place
alongside this marine conservation conference.
Henning von Nordheim organized a meeting to
discuss the topic of native oyster restoration in the
North Sea back in 2011 on the Island of Vilm —
reported in The Grower December 2012.
Aquabass update
After an intensive induction into the fin fish and
shellfish sectors, four experienced business advisors
completed four pilot whole business reviews of shellfish
growing businesses and three of trout.
A report with recommendations is currently being
drawn up and will be presented to Marine Scotland by
the end of March.
An update will be presented to the Shellfish working
group of the Ministerial Group for Sustainable
Aquaculture at their meeting on 18th March.
Dates for your diary:
SAGB Annual shellfish conference
May 18th -19th 2015
Fishmongers’ Hall
London Bridge
Aquaculture Europe 2015
Aquaculture, Nature and Society
Rotterdam, October 20-23, 2015
ASSG Annual conference
Corran Halls, Oban
22-23rd October 2015
6th International Oyster Symposium,
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA,
October 21-23, 2015.
Contact details
Editor of The Grower Janet H Brown,
2 Annfield Grove, Stirling, FK8 2BN
[email protected]
CEO Nick Lake, Mendosa, Court Hill Road,
Rosemarkie, Black Isle, Ross-shire, IV10 8UE
[email protected]
Treasurer
Stephen Cameron, [email protected]
Other members of management committee;David Attwood
[email protected]
Nick Turnbull
[email protected]
Tristan Hugh-Jones [email protected]
Michael Tait
[email protected]
The Grower — 3
CEO’s Column
Nick’s Notes
It is official "Spring has sprung"! No not in the
terrestrial environment (although there are clear signs
that we are heading in the right direction) but in the
marine context. The reason why I know this? The first
incidence of a biotoxin above the action level has been
reported by the Food Standards Agency (ASP in whole
King scallop). It seems only a short while since we were
scanning to determine when the last biotoxin season was
coming to a close (just before Christmas) and now it
appears the whole cycle is starting again? It may be age
but it definitely feels as though the active stage of this
cycle is getting ever longer? The reasons can be debated
by the academics - warmer sea temperatures - more
nutrients being released into the marine environment greater nutrient cycling due to bacterial action or
sediment disturbance caused by more stormy conditions?
Whatever the reason (and it would be good to get a better
understanding of what we are facing) our sector has to
manage the outcomes and of course this adds a cost to
production. With the official control programme that
operates in Scotland we can assure the market that the
products are safe to eat and this is vital for us all.
However, any system can be improved and if there is a
way of maintaining standards while minimising costs to
the industry we are keen to explore the options. With
this in mind we have been discussing with the FSA
Scotland the possibility of a further biotoxin workshop
being held before the main summer onslaught of testing
arrives. This will focus on keeping all producers up to
date on the developing test techniques and also looking at
the frequency/targeting of testing both of which have
financial implications for producers. I will e-mail all
members when we have a date and further information
on this.
FSAS becomes FSS
You may be aware that from 2nd March Food
Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) move into new
offices in Aberdeen (with equal amounts of excitement
and exhaustion based on recent dealings!). However,
potentially even more important for our sector is that at
the start of April the FSAS morph into Food Standards
Scotland (FSS) with plans to address Scottish food safety
issues more in the context of the Scottish operational
environment. This is something we have welcomed as in
our own sector we have tended to be viewed as part of a
series of UK issues rather than in some cases the unique
operating environment we have in Scotland. This is not
to say that we can put our fingers in our ears and close
our eyes to Directives from the EU!
Norovirus and the EU
Norovirus is a case in question. We have supported
the FSAS position put forward to the EU on this matter
and recent discussions have seen a more realistic
Dr Nick Lake, CEO of the Association of Scottish
Shellfish Growers (ASSG)
approach agreed to progressing this issue at the EU
level. End product testing for norovirus based on a set
standard has been put on hold (it will arise again I am
sure). The EU in the first instance has agreed that a
survey of all impacted shellfish in Europe will be
undertaken to assess norovirus levels. The details of
how this survey will be undertaken are currently the
subject of discussions but it seems likely to focus on
oysters and be at the point of sale. We have been
discussing the detail with the FSAS and hope to have a
clearer picture of the proposals as they emerge. What
still will not have been addressed is the proportion of
any norovirus detected which has the potential to raise
a food safety issue. Unfortunately current routine tests
cannot differentiate between viable and non-viable
virus particles and hence give a direct link to food
safety! With typical Gallic pragmatism our French
neighbours already have a system in place which seeks
to address possible links between any norovirus
outbreak and shellfish production with beds closed for
a short period where a definitive link is established.
What is known as the "French Protocol" is currently the
subject of discussion between the European FSAs as to
whether such an approach could be used on a routine
basis in all countries. We will be discussing this further
with the new FSS.
Water classification issues
Unfortunately also at the top of the list for
discussion with FSS is the recently released Shellfish
Harvesting Waters Classifications for 2015/16. I
circulated the provisional list to all members and noted
that the deadline for any appeal is the 13th March. If
you feel that the sample results for your sites have been
mis-interpreted in any way the opportunity for them to
be re-evaluated exists.
We have to remember that the FSS role is to operate
food safety standards based on the conditions found in
the natural environment. It has to be extremely
disappointing to all concerned that in terms of our
water quality as measured by E.coli bacteria levels that
we appear to be faced with declines either seasonally or
in specific areas. How are we now faced with over 40
unfavourable conditions (down-grades of water quality
The Grower — 4
CEO’s Column cont.
designations) when most assumed that the Shellfish
Waters Protected Areas (SWPAs) legislation enacted by
the Scottish Government in 2013 would provide a
backstop to any specific decline within an area? Again
in a Scottish context we have a unique rural environment
and some of the E.coli detected may be from animal
sources rather than human.
Unfortunately this
distinction cannot be made under routine testing. Even
given such issues we have to ask why we have seen year
on year declines which have a direct cost on our sector
and seem to totally negate the "polluter pays" principle?
Ironically the 2013 SWPA legislation lacked one small
detail when introduced. That detail was the standard
which SEPA had to use to assess the water quality
against and which then meant investigative and
corrective action would require to be taken under the
legislation! Hence while we have the legislation in place
we have had no meaningful action taken other than to
statistically analyse the FSAS shellfish harvesting results
over recent years. This issue has very recently been
brought to our attention by the Scottish Government who
wishes to set standards for SEPA to work towards. We
will be seeking to get this issue addressed at the earliest
opportunity as if for nothing else one major sales point
for Scottish shellfish is the quality of the production
waters and environment we operate in. This has to be
maintained and not just perceived to be maintained if the
industry is to develop and grow.
Shellfish growing waters
Some of you will remember that the original
legislation to protect Shellfish Growing Waters came
from an EU Directive (EU 79/923). This Directive in its
technical standards was somewhat vague in certain
aspects with E.coli levels not directly related to food
safety issues. It also maintained a hydrocarbon standard
which to some seemed out of context? However, it has
to be remembered that this Directive was brought
forward in the wake of the Torrey Canyon disaster where
an oil tanker hit the rocks in Cornwall. I can clearly
remember two things; one was going down to the beach
in Sidmouth as a school class and helping to construct a
boom made of heather which was to be floated out to
protect our beach if the oil came our way (which luckily
it didn't); secondly the fact that the RAF bombed the
vessel to set it on fire to help stop the spread of the crude
oil!
Thankfully pollution control measures have
improved since that time. However, French oyster
growers were impacted by the events and were soon to
realise that without water quality standards they found it
extremely difficult to claim any compensation through
the courts for what was a significant and extremely clear
pollution event. Hence the genesis of EU79/923. We
were all assured that when 79/923 was subsumed within
the Water Framework Directive in 2013 our sector
would be assured of equal or indeed enhanced
protection for the environment in which we operate.
The Scottish SWPA legislation was supposed to give us
that protection. Given the recent accidents with more
than one large vessel trying to create an Ardnamurchan
peninsular canal and ending up on the rocks we have to
make sure we keep the pressure up on the authorities to
maintain the protection of our environment.
Membership renewal
On a more parochial level thank you to all members
who have responded to the invoice sent out for
membership renewal. Rather than issuing a single
invoice with the last Grower we will now be sending
renewal reminders based on historic date of joining.
This helps attract new members who now should have
no financial loss joining at any time throughout the year.
For those of you that have yet to respond to the invoice
sent we would be grateful for your subscription!
Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink
2015 is Scotland's Year of Food and Drink and so
we have a good opportunity to put our sectors output on
both the national and international stage. October has
been nominated as Seafood month within this initiative
and so we hope to make the most of this both before and
during our annual Conference in Oban. More details to
follow in the next Grower.
ASSG anniversary coming up
Also worth remembering that next year is the 30th
Anniversary of the ASSG (formed in 1986 by Walter
Speirs, Janet Church and Peter Williams as signatories).
Anybody with photographs of growers and their
activities over the intervening years please set them
aside if you come across them. At the very least we
may aim for a photo-wall at this year's Conference. If
we can identify enough material we can see how we
could use this to celebrate the continued existence of the
ASSG 30 years on?
All the best for the coming few months
Nick
NB The Food Standards Agency in Scotland (FSAS)
has moved to new premises in Pilgrim House in
Aberdeen in advance of the launch of Food Standards
Scotland (FSS) on 1 April 2015.
The new address is Food Standards Agency in
Scotland, 4th Floor, Pilgrim House, Old Ford Road,
Aberdeen. AB11 5RL. Telephone contact details remain
the same as before.
01224 288378
The Grower — 5
4th International Shellfish Conference, The
Netherlands, January 2015
Janet H Brown reports
A definite change was detectable in the atmosphere
in the Dutch mussel industry where things are apparently
feeling brighter after what could be described as
punishing bouts with the environmental lobby over the
past few years. As Hans van Geesbergen poetically
expressed it on the second day of the conference “the
dispute only ended when the two knowledgeable parties,
the environmentalists and the mussel industry arrived at
the toll gate of the lawyers, to have their dispute sorted
out by people who knew nothing of either side!” More
subtle arguments had to prevail – the fact of historic
activity holds no sway but there also has to be an
understanding that there is more to accomplish through
cooperation and better understanding of all the
processes, particularly in relation to the marine
environment in all its complexities.
Rope grown mussels explained in biting wind!
The 4th International Shellfish Conference had been
organised by Jaap Holstein and Jim Louisse, reprising
past successes. They had taken over the Deltapark at
Neeltje Jans and timed it concurrently with an Expert
Meeting on shellfish bottom culture. The first morning
of the conference itself all looked a most interesting
programme but since it was all in Dutch Jaap and Jim
had organised a separate programme for the non-Dutch
speakers which involved something of a magical
mystery tour that was completely unexpected for me.
But in company with Prof Gavin Burnell and 3
delightful students from Canada on a university
exchange at the University in Vlissingen we travelled
from Middleburg to Yerseke to see the mussel auction
(see Grower April 2014 for definitive account of its
unique workings) meeting up with all the other non
Dutch speakers and then to visit the rope mussel farm at
Neeltje Jans where we also enjoyed a most delicious
lunch. This must have been the coldest day of the year
and I had dressed for a conference, not for a boat trip out
to mussel lines, but apparently those who were not
attending the expert meeting and who took the guided
walk to see the dam itself reported back that we really
didn’t know what cold meant until it was seasoned by
the wind racing across the Oosterschelde.
It was pretty cold at the expert meeting itself that
afternoon but discussion was lively if not actually
heated. The aim of the meeting was specifically to
address problems of bottom mussel culture but some of
these are not exclusive to bottom culture. For example
intermittent seed supply can affect all types of mussel
culture and of course, water quality, product quality and
HABs are common issues for all shellfish culture and
harvesting.
The more specific problems of bottom mussel
culture, the relations with nature conservation
particulary in Holland are being somewhat resolved and
the virtues of shellfish culture in terms of ecosystem
services and their food chain position and health
benefits can somewhat ameliorate criticisms but
problems of resource availability and translocations
remain concerns. Since there are many common issues
the value of such meetings was unquestioned. The lack
of EMPA is certainly being felt but that is not
necessarily an opportunity for other than country
representatives to meet but there was a wish for greater
International cooperation throughout the whole “chain”
from producer to wholesaler.
With some issues such as problems of recruitment,
research into the causes while of interest does not
necessarily lead to a solution. Spat collectors are one
way to deal with the ups and downs but are there other
means? And what can explain the shifts in mussel seed
location – and how can this be dealt with? Climate
change is also an issue that will not go away – how will
this affect recruitment and grow out?
One highly practical suggestion to make better use
of research outputs from within the group with a
reiteration of a suggestion made as part of Euroshell
project, to have a website where reports and existing
studies can be placed – to make the information
available to all.
The conference itself continued a second day with
translation provided for the morning and then some
presentations in English from late morning onwards.
The information being provided from Aad Smaal and
Jacob Cappelle on how mussel culture can improve
ecological values and on better production systems
respectively looked very interesting but it seems to me
simultaneous translation does not cope well with
shellfish culture. Miguel António Cunha talking about
offshore mussel culture in Portugal was therefore at an
advantage giving his talk in English where despite many
initial problems they are targeting producing 600-700
tonnes of rope grown mussels. Marketing issues were
covered by first Nicki Holmyard with a talk on the
importance of regional products and brands and
followed by Finnian O’Luasa talking about Ireland’s
food export identity and organic mussel cultivation.
More photos on back page.
The Grower — 6
Shellfish representation; how is it done on
the other side of the pond?
Janet H Brown talks with the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Trade associations - a vexed question as to whether
to organise as producer organisation or a trade
association, and if the latter how can you ensure
representation and fully justify the existence of the
association?
And can the association avoid the
inevitable free loading of non-members who often
benefit from the work of the trade association without
contributing themselves?
Pictured above: Robert Rheault, Executive Director of the
East Coast Shellfish Growers Association.
I seized the opportunity to quiz the Executive
Director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers
Association (ECSGA) on these and other issues while
attending the International Conference on Shellfish
Restoration once again in its traditional base of
Charleston, South Carolina in December. Dr Robert B
Rheault has now been in this position for 6 years. This
is not however a good introduction; for one thing he
hardly uses his title and is more commonly known as
“Skid” Rheault (Rheault being pronounced Rowe) or
Bob. He did indeed do a PhD on oysters some years
ago at University of Rhode Island and his science
background is of great relevance as we will see but his
work has for a long time centred on the business side of
oyster farming and this is how he came to his current
role.
Skid became involved in the idea of an
association because he had been working as an oyster
farmer in a state without an aquaculture industry at the
time – Rhode Island. As he said himself, “I had to be
very active on the state level to get things going. I
established a state growers’ association with a few
allies, started writing an industry newsletter and sent it
to all the state legislators, brought in guest speakers
from other states where things were going well and
where nary a negative word was heard. Eventually we
got some traction and fixed the regulations that were
holding back the industry.”
This led on to a larger consortium with a number of
growers getting together at various meetings and the
idea of establishing an East Coast Shellfish Growers
Association was bandied about. They had seen how
well organized the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers
Association (PCSGA) had become, how effective they
could be in meetings with regulators, how they focused
government research dollars toward key problems, they wanted that. (This in itself is an interesting
difference – note no nationality in the names – all trade
associations this side of the Atlantic have a nationality
included in the title!).
So the ECSGA was set up in 2004, incorporated as a
non-profit trade association. Skid was the President and
they hired a part time Executive Director, Ed Rhodes
from 2006. Together with a few other committed
volunteers they found enough growers to get off the
ground. In 2009 Ed had to take a full time position and
so Skid took over as Executive Director.
For much of this time he was also president of his
own company, farming and marketing oysters trading as
Moonstone Oysters working out of Narragansett, RI and
he still is an adjunct faculty member in the University of
Rhode Island's Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture.
He established the East Coast Shellfish Research
Institute and has been successful in attracting several
substantial federal research grants to address critical
industry research priorities. He is an active member of
the National Fisheries Institute and is a passionate
industry advocate.
As someone who works with the Association of
Scottish Shellfish Growers specific questions were
pressing for comparison with our own situation.
Obviously their industry is on a much larger scale and
shellfisheries dominate as does shellfish aquaculture.
But there are interesting differences – and similarities to
enquire about.
JHB How has the ECSGA grown and is it still
growing?
RBR We grow in membership by about 10-20% a
year and we had a sharp increase in membership this
past year, but we still only have a small fraction of the
industry as members. Of the estimated 1,300 farms on
the East Coast we only have about 15% as members.
The nature of the industry is such that many farmers are
very small part-time operations who won’t pay dues.
There are few large farms, and several of these believe
they don’t need to join an association. They can hire
their own lobbyist .
JHB What are the main issues facing ECSGA?
The Grower — 7
Shellfish representation; cont.
RBR We spend a lot of time and energy dealing
with
shellfish
sanitation
issues.
Vibrio
parahaemolyticus control seems to dominate much of
my time.
We are also trying to rectify the trade war with the
EU so we can restore some of the lucrative connections
we had in the EU markets 5 years ago. We are trying to
get acknowledgement for the ecosystem services we
provide through nutrient credit trading, and we are
constantly working to improve water quality and
expand harvest areas.
JHB Are there different chapters in the ECSGA
or are members mainly oyster folk?
RBR We represent about 60% clam farms, 40%
oyster farms and there is a nascent mussel industry.
JHB What about NACE and its relation to
ECSGA?
RBR The NorthEast Aquaculture Conference and
Exposition is a semi-annual aquaculture trade show and
scientific meeting that is supported by the extension
agents from all the Northeast states and rotates through
North East States. Since I represent growers from
Maine to Florida it is hard to have a physical meeting.
We do most of our meetings electronically. Few people
will come to meeting if it is more than a few hours
away. So we piggy back our annual members meeting
on other meetings up and down the coast. This year we
will be in Portland, ME in January.
JHB How do your organise your membership
structure and fees?
RBR We have a graduated dues structure $100$1500 depending on the grower’s gross sales
We have a category for shellfish dealers $250 and
gear distributors/suppliers consultants category $250.
And we take advertisements in our newsletter. This
provides another $9K annually. And we have a $35
associate member category for those who are
supporters, government, and regulatory.
We also have a deal with state growers associations
that they can pay us $15 per grower and all their
members get a newsletter but no voting privileges. So
we have a few hundred of these….
JHB I have heard you talk at conferences about
the importance of lobbying – what do you advise?
RBR It is really important to ensure that the
regulators don’t put you out of business. If you are not
involved in the process of writing the regulations then
the law of unintended consequences dictates that they
will probably hurt you if you don’t protect yourself.
You need to participate in the scientific research, the
public outreach and the education of your legislators.
By demonstrating the growth in green jobs, the
sustainable seafood production and the ecosystem
benefits we can enlist the help or politicians when the
regulators get crazy, or if we have a need of research
dollars. Educating the legislators is a constant task.
There is huge turnover and they know nothing about
your industry. If you don’t have time to do it then you
need to pay someone to do it for you. This is why busy
professionals are members of trade associations.
JHB Is export a major interest for your growers?
RBR We are experiencing an explosion in the
market for oysters right now, so there is not a lot of
surplus production to send overseas, but that could
change. Clam production has been essentially flat (as
has the price) for many years. We used to sell quite a
bit of shellfish in Europe and we see that EU markets
could be quite lucrative for us now.
JHB How much expansion do you feel is
possible?
RBR East Coast oyster production has doubled in
the past five years and we could easily see that happen
again in the next five years. Permitting sites has been a
challenge in most states, but we are gaining acceptance
and there is still a lot of water that could be made
productive if we can resolve the user conflict issues.
JHB Is vibrio the main issue facing your
members?
RBR It is definitely a challenge. We have gotten
very adept at eliminating illness from sewage-related
sources, but the naturally occurring bacteria like the
Vibrios are essentially unpredictable. We rarely detect
pathogenic strains in the environment so screening (like
we do for HABs) is not an option. The American
consumer in general is less willing to accept any level
of risk, and so we have to do our best to minimise the
risk of illness. We are adapting. By icing product
promptly we can eliminate post harvest bacterial growth
which seems to be working.
JHB Is vibrio mainly a problem in relation to
temperature?
RBR The list of Vibrio challenges is immense. 99%
of the strains are benign. We can’t detect the virulent
ones. I have a page of research needs. Temperature is
clearly involved, but there is a new strain that appears to
be happy at lower temperatures.
JHB Do your regulators worry about norovirus?
RBR Norovirus is the leading cause of food-born
illness, so the FDA is in the midst of a massive risk
assessment for NoV. Fortunately there are very few
instances related to shellfish consumption. Those are
invariably related an overboard discharge as opposed to
a sewage treatment plant failure.
The Grower — 8
Shellfish representation; cont.
seafood. Their lobbying efforts in the US are often
fragmented. As the fleet has been downsized, the
allocation fights have pitted sector against sector. We
work with the National Fisheries Institute on many
national issues, but then we also work with the National
Aquaculture Association and the Farm Bureau. All three
are effective experienced lobbying groups.
A shorter version of this article has already been
published in Fish Farmer March 2015 issue.
Pictured above; Skid Rheault (standing) presenting his
views on ocean acidification and climate change at a
discussion panel at ICSR conference in Charleston in
December with from the left Prof. Aad Smaal and Joth Davis
of PCSGA, and Dr Elizabeth Fly (chair of discussion group).
JHB Is restoration part of the concern of your
membership or is there a real split between restorers
and aquaculturists?
RBR It took several years for my board to reach a
consensus on whether to support or oppose restoration
in uncertified (closed) waters. There is a valid concern
that poached restoration product might end up in the
marketplace where public confidence would be shaken
and prices would plummet. Eventually we were able to
come out with a policy of conditional approval that
emphasizes the need for appropriate education and
enforcement component.
We support the idea of ecosystem services. I have
spent much of my career trying to document the value of
ecosystem services, not so much because I want
someone to pay me for the nutrients remove or the
habitat I provide for fishes, but because I want, what I
call, the “social license to farm.” I spend much of my
time trying to convince people to allow a farm to get
established in front of someone’s waterfront mansion. If
you can point out that the shellfish are good for fishing
and water quality that is often more important to some
people than the jobs and nutritious seafood and
economic development parts of the argument.
JHB What are relations with fisherfolk like?
RBR When I started out I had my life threatened by
some burly clam harvesters. I could not understand why
they felt threatened by me. I bear them no malice, but is
has taken many years for them to realize aquaculture is
an opportunity more than a threat. We showed them
how to nursery culture seed and enhance their fishery
and now we work together well.
JHB How do you feel about the “competition”
from the fishing industry in lobbying?
RBR We harbour no ill will towards fisherfolk. We
will never replace them. We need to augment their
contribution to meet the growing demands for global
Editor’s note
Readers may be interested to see an article by Dr
Robert Rheault featured on the Global Ocean Health
website accessible here
This is a newsletter addressing issues of ocean
acidification for which Skid wrote an article
Communicating OA—It’s complicated..
Get on their mailing list at
www.sustainablefish.org/global-programs/global-ocean
-health
The Grower — 9
More about CACHE ITN
CACHE is an EU project led by the British Antarctic
Survey (BAS), addressing shellfish and climate change
with which ASSG is an associate partner. It therefore
seemed a good idea to provide more information on this
project in The Grower.
First question is why CACHE? – the name derives
thus:- CAlcium in a CHanging Environment (CACHE)
The overall scientific aim of this multidisciplinary
Initial Training Network (ITN) is to understand calcium
regulation and shell production in the natural marine
environment. An integrative approach is planned using
four of the most important commercially exploited
molluscan species Pecten maximus (King Scallop);
Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oyster); Mytilus edulis (Blue
Mussel); and Mya arenaria (Soft Shell Clam) as model
organisms, each investigated in a co-ordinated manner
utilising key network skills. Natural variation in shell
production will be studied in combination with
experimental manipulations to quantify adaptive
potential and identify novel genes/proteins that underpin
responses to environmental change. This will be done
with particular reference to aquaculture and
biotechnology exploitation, in order to directly benefit
the EU Blue Economy.
The “vision” for the project is to push forward our
understanding of calcium production in the marine
environment. At the same time the project will develop a
cohort of young scientists trained in tackling complex
biological problems using multidisciplinary approaches,
to become future leaders and innovators at the interface
between pure research and commercial exploitation.
Academic training will be allied to strong
complementary development and placements with
primary production sectors in aquaculture and
researchers will also benefit from Dr. Gauthier
Chapelle’s expertise, who works on eco-innovative
strategies and solutions to sustainability using
biomimicry tools. The training is based around a major
science question: How four commercially important
molluscs produce their shells and regulate shell
production under different environmental conditions.
This will provide insight into how these species will fare
in our changing climate, provide resilient stocks for
future aquaculture and potential biotechnology
applications.
See the website at www.cache-itn.eu/
Meet the students explaining their projects
My name is Alexander Ventura and the purpose of my
project is to understand if
and how bivalves of high
commercial value in Europe
may adapt to environmental
change. I am particularly
interested in bivalves’
evolutionary responses to
ocean acidification, which
is an increase in ocean
acidity linked to humaninduced rise in atmospheric
CO2 concentrations. The
effects ocean acidification
has on sea water chemistry
may negatively impact
organisms with calcium
carbonate shells such as mussels and oysters, which may
find it more challenging to produce and/or maintain
their shells.
However all species are able to adapt to changes in their
environment through evolution based on the survival of
the fittest individuals within a population which will
then pass on their genes to the next generation and so on.
The problem may arise if changes in environmental
parameters are too abrupt as this may not allow a species
to adapt in time, which is what I am interested in finding
out through my PhD project. I would also like to explore
the possibility of artificially selecting ocean acidification
resilient bivalve strains. This will be attempted by
picking out those individuals in a population that better
withstand
low
pH
conditions in the lab. I
believe this work could
be highly beneficial to
the
aquaculture
industry.
Is building a shell
hard work? Trystan
Sanders
It is not really known
how much energy it
costs shellfish to build
The Grower — 10
More about CACHE ITN .cont.
their shells and what implications this has on the rest of
the animal and the ecosystem. To build a shell, Bivalves
(Mussels, Oysters, Scallops etc.) need to obtain
carbonate from the seawater. Increased CO2 emissions
have led to more CO2 dissolving in the oceans, making
them more acidic and lowering the concentration of
carbonate. This means it is more of a struggle for
bivalves to get carbonate from the water to grow their
shells and they have to invest more energy into this
process. This in turn, leads to less energy being
available for body growth and reproduction, which
could have negative impacts on the animal. These
problems are also multiplied in the larval stage of the
animals when they have the highest rate of shell
growth. Mussels are regarded as ‘keystone species’ as
they are extremely important for many ecosystems, so
negative impacts on their growth and development will
have negative effects on coastal ecosystems as a whole.
It is my job to investigate how much energy mussels
invest in growing their shells in different environments
and how this will affect ecosystems and shellfish farms
in the future. Optimizing locations of farms based on
environmental conditions and larval production is vital
for the future success of shellfish farms and ecosystems
as a whole.
Kirsikka Sillanpää Ion transport in the outer
mantle epithelium of bivalves. My part of the
CACHE project is to find out what the uptake and
transport
mechanisms are for
getting the calcium
from
the
environment to the
shells for growth
and
how
this
process
is
controlled.
I will focus on the
outer
mantle
epithelium, which is
the last tissue to
separate the body of
the animal from the
growing shell, and
where all transport of material for building the new
shell will take place. Transport of calcium through this
tissue can either happen in ionic state, bound to either
small molecules or calcium-binding proteins, or be
incorporated in haemolymph cells, haemocytes. I will
look at both in which form calcium is transported, and
what mechanisms this transport uses. I’ll use a method
called the Ussing chamber technique to study the
transport mechanisms and barrier functions of a live
mantle tissue. To know the basic transport mechanisms
is important since this information can be used to find
out how these might be affected by changing
environmental conditions such as ocean acidification.
Kirti Ramesh – My project is titled ‘Intracellular
formation of amorphous calcium carbonate and its
interactions
with
intracellular
pH
homeostasis’
which
in
simpler terms
means I will
be studying
how mussels
and oysters
actually
make
their
shells.
Mussels and
oysters
produce
shells consisting mainly of calcium carbonate and when
this calcium carbonate is first formed within a cell, it is
unstable and called amorphous. The main aims of my
project will be to provide information on whether the
formation of this amorphous calcium carbonate occurs
within cells in the developmental stages of these
organisms and how this process is different in adults.
Once I can provide information on how amorphous
calcium carbonate is formed in cells, I will then look at
how this process will be impaired by pH stress to try and
gain an understanding of how future scenarios of low pH
due to ocean acidification will affect shell formation in
these animals.
Tejaswi Yarra Transcriptional profiling of shell
calcification. Identifying shell forming genes
With the advent
of
molecular
biology
and
sequencing
technologies,
thousands
of
genes
and
proteins from the
shell and mantle
(tissue
responsible
for
shell growth) of
shellfish
have
been identified.
However, there
are very large
The Grower — 11
More about CACHE ITN cont.
knowledge gaps in identifying the genes and related
networks of shell formation. Thus, this project will try to
identify some of these genes and proteins.
The experimental set up is as follows: shells of live
shellfish will be damaged by drilling holes on the shell
edge. Mantle tissue sampling will take place over a three
month period as the holes are re-grown. RNA will be
extracted from the mantle tissue and sequenced for both
control and drilled specimens. Analysis of the assembled
transcriptomes from the shellfish mantles could then
identify putative genes involved in forming shells.
Although shells are a common feature in the
thousands of species of known molluscs, there is
considerable variety in how different species create and
maintain their shells. Therefore, it is important to study
shell formation in multiple species and not just on model
species. This project works with four commercially
important species: King scallops (Pecten maximus),
Blue mussels (Mytilis edulis), Pacific oysters
(Crassostrea gigas) and Soft shelled clams (Mya
arenaria).
to different environmental parameters.
The same features will be analysed in museum
collections allowing us to obtain and compare historic
data on shell variability over the last 100 years of
changing environmental conditions. Moreover, three of
these species occurred during the Pliocene epoch,
providing further comparison and allowing us to address
any evolutionary scale changes in the shell structure and
composition over the last 4 million years.
Understanding how shell characteristics vary in the
natural environment and over historical time is essential
if we are to accurately predict how these species will
react to the future climate change leading to increasing
acidification levels.
Nadège Zaghdoudi Regulatory mechanisms of
shell formation.
I am studying the cellular and molecular
organization of the mantle, the primary tissue
Luca Telesca, It is known that that shell features
can vary significantly within species, depending on
where they live and these are all tightly linked to the
local conditions. By studying the variability of these
shells’ characteristics from the same species in different
environments, we can identify how local conditions
affect shell production. Specifically, my project will
investigate the natural variation of shell characteristics
across a latitudinal gradient and over historical time in
the four commercial species chosen by this project:
I will examine the intraspecific variation of
thickness, microstructure, mineralogical and organic
content over the current latitudinal range and the
variability of growth rate, showing the levels of shell
production and physiological responses of these species
responsible for producing the calcium carbonate shells
of bivalves. Essentially, I will be focusing on the intercellular signalling systems (neuronal and hormonal)
involved in calcification of mussel and oyster shells. By
challenging these bivalves to different environmental
stressors such as predation and elevated carbon dioxide
levels, I hope to identify components of the neuroendocrine system and investigate their function in the
shell formation process.
I will be using a variety of different methods
throughout my project, including, genetics, cellular
anatomy, and controlled challenge experiments.
Hopefully my research in collaboration with the other
CACHE members’ will be a helpful contribution to the
shellfish aquaculture world. Learning more about how
shellfish produce their shells will allow us to develop
better solutions when faced with the consequences of
climate change and ocean acidification.
The Grower — 12
More about CACHE ITN cont.
I am Jaison Arivalagan from Museum National
d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. My research is in the
field of biomineralization that studies the hardening or
stiffening of
existing tissue
through minerals.
Essentially
the shell can
likened to a wall
of bricks and
mortar, the bricks
of the shell are
made of calcium
carbonate while
the mortar is
protein, chitin
and other organic
materials. These
organic materials
form a
framework around the calcium carbonate to form a solid
structure but this framework can vary between species.
I am studying the 4 project species and extracting the
proteins present in their shells to identify the different
proteins involved in shell formation and repair in order
to understand the resilience and adaptation capacity of
these species.
Kati Michalek Adaptation of the cultured Blue
mussel (Mytilus edulis) to climate change
The majority of Scottish blue mussels are cultivated
in sea lochs, which are
subject to varying degrees
of surface water salinities,
temperatures and pH
values, mostly due to
different levels of
freshwater input to the
loch. These varying
conditions allow us to
study climate change
impacts on Blue mussels in
a natural experimental
system. We will monitor
environmental parameters on-site of numerous mussel
farms, collect mussels from farmed as well as wild
populations and investigate their adaptation potential by
applying a variety of ecological and molecular
approaches.
With the help and in close cooperation with Scottish
mussel farmers, the generated data will show habitatspecific environmental impacts on mussel populations.
The results will be of high relevance not only for
aquaculture research but especially for local farmers to
quantify their product quality in times of a changing
climate.
For further information please contact the project at
[email protected]
More essential facts about the project
CACHE is a €3.6M Marie Curie Initial Training
Network (ITN) funded by the People Programme (Marie
Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh
Framework programme FP7/2007-2013/ under REA
grant agreement n° [605051]13. It brings together 10
partners from 6 different European countries and
includes three SMEs and a shellfish consultancy. It
started on November 1st 2013 and will run for 4 years.
CACHE will train 10 young researchers to PhD level
and enhance the training and careers of 4 early-stage
post-doctoral researchers.)
The partners in the project are :British Antarctic Survey (NERC-BAS) ( lead
organisation), University of Gothenburg (UGOT)
University of Edinburgh (UEDIN) Museum National
d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris (MNHN), Universitaet
Bielefeld (UNIBI), The University of Cambridge
(UCAM), The Scottish Association for Marine
Science (SAMS), Royal Belgian Institute of Natural
Sciences (RBINS), Centre for Marine Sciences
(CCMAR), University of Kiel (GEOMAR).
The associated partners are Association of Scottish
Shellfish Growers (ASSG), Ostrea Sverige AB, and
CRM - Coastal Research
and Management
The Grower — 13
More coverage on the culinary benefits of
rope-grown mussels - Inverlussa Mussels
Mussels were once again getting good coverage on
TV in January with a report from Inverlussa Mussels
that managed, through the excellent verbal skills of both
Douglas Wilson and Cameron Maclean, to get out all the
essential information on the environmental credentials
of rope grown mussels and their nutritional advantages
along with the garnish of background on Loch Spelve
and the history of Inverlussa Mussels. And then
proceeded to show how easy they are to cook – so easy
that an 8 year old can cook them. This demonstration
was very well made by Charlie Knight, assisted by his
grandfather, Douglas Wilson.
This time the TV programme was not Horizon but
“James Martin Home Comforts”. The downside was
that this programme was shown mid Friday afternoon on
January 23rd, hardly peak viewing time but
concentrating on a theme for the programme of Friday
night suppers, certainly made a winning argument in
favour of rope grown mussels. James also demonstrated
his own recipe. Both are included here so you can take
your pick.
James Martin’s professional recipe - Lemongrass
and ginger mussels
Ingredients
50g/unsalted butter, 2 shallots, finely chopped,
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves discarded, soft
core finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped,
10cm/piece fresh root ginger, peeled, finely chopped, 12 red chillies (depending on their heat), finely sliced,
200ml white wine, 330ml coconut water, 160ml coconut
cream, 2kg/4mussels, rinsed, scrubbed, beards removed,
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 loaf sourdough bread, thickly sliced2
tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves, salt and
freshly ground black pepper.
Preparation method
Melt the butter in a heavy-based, lidded pan over a
medium heat. Add the shallots, lemongrass, garlic,
ginger and chilli(es) and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until
softened but not coloured.
Increase the heat to high, then pour in the wine,
coconut water and coconut cream and bring to the boil.
Add the mussels and cover the pan with the lid. Cook
for 4-5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened
(discard any mussels that do not open during cooking).
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a high heat.
When the pan is hot, drizzle the olive oil over the bread
slices and grill the bread for 30 seconds on each side, or
until chargrill marks appear on both sides.
When the mussels have cooked, stir in the coriander
leaves, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground
black pepper.
To serve, spoon the mussels, and the cooking liquor,
into four bowls. Serve the bread alongside.
Watch filmed demo on www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/
lemongrass_and_ginger_63752
Charlie Knight’s Mussel recipe.
Onion, garlic, chilli and ginger finely chopped and
sweated in the pan, a little cider vinegar and mixed
herbs and lime juice then add the mussels….keep lid on
for 3-4 minutes.
Pictured below (standing, from left). Douglas
Wilson, Declan Taylor, Ali Currie, Cameron Maclean,
Charlie Knight (grandson - cook), Kallista Knight,
camera man, (seated from left) Nicola Kingscote. series producer, Naomi Knight – (daughter of Douglas)
Lawrence Knight.
The Grower — 14
Climate change and adaptations in oyster
mariculture
Dr Ziggy Otto
Weapons come in many shapes and forms and just
about any ordinary object can be used as a weapon,
although many are expressly designed for the purpose,
ranging
from
simple
implements
such
as clubs, swords and guns,
to
complicated
modern intercontinental ballistic missiles, biological and
cyber-weapons. Climate change must be included on
this list, as it has developed on a global scale into the
most destructive weapon yet and can only be described
as a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD).
The oyster industry in Scotland occupies a unique
geographical position in lochs and bays, where land
meets the sea.
This position makes the sector
potentially vulnerable to changes in both terrestrial and
oceanic environments. Projected climate changes are
likely to mean that oyster growers will need to adapt in
diverse ways across the many places in which they work
– from the Shetlands to SW Scotland.
Scotland’s climate will change in the future and The
UK Climate Projections 2009 show the changes that can
be expected during the rest of this century. Broadly,
Scotland will get warmer, with wetter winters and
hotter, drier summers. As the climate changes, Scotland
will see more extreme weather events. There will be
more extended hot periods; major increases in
maximum temperatures nationwide, and fewer days of
snow and frost. There will be longer periods of dry
weather in the summer and the wettest days of the year
are likely to be considerably wetter than at present.
Given the current projections, climate change is unlikely
to have a significant effect on Scottish mariculture over
the next decade. Further into the future however, the
forecast changes are likely to result in noticeable effects.
Scotland is projected to experience rises in annual and
seasonal mean water temperature of up to 2.5 ºC by
2080.
Although there is still a high level of uncertainty,
current sea temperature projections are thought likely to
result in Crassostrea gigas recruiting ‘naturally’ every
year under a medium emissions scenario to an extent
that theoretically they will be able to expand their range
by the 2080s to encompass the entire UK, including
Scotland. Whilst this ‘unnatural’ spread of the Pacific
oyster, considered an invasive non-native species
(INNS) in the UK, will have adverse effects on native
ecosystems and their functioning, it demonstrates that
increases in seawater temperatures are not a major
problem for the species. Exposure at low tide during
extended hot periods, however, can result in higher
incidence of summer mortality; these effects could be
exacerbated by higher sea surface temperatures. One
innovative adaptation measure to counteract this kind of
climate variability is the use of sprinkler systems over
oyster production areas, in particular in an area that has
Editor’s note.
It was with very real sadness I heard about the death of
Ziggy Otto earlier this year. He had been so happy with
his new life in Kenya and had got very much involved with
journalism. He had sent me an article for the December
issue of The Grower following his initial article which
appeared in the October issue. I judged the topic
unsuitable for the festive Christmas issue but include it
here now as a fitting tribute to Ziggy.
The picture above shows Ziggy working on Lake Turkana
in Kenya. Ziggy had a very varied background in the
broad fields of aquatic and environmental sciences,
spanning the spectra between the physical, chemical and
biological ends. In 2008 he also gained a qualifying law
degree. Ziggy took early retirement at the end of 2013 as
Senior Marine Conservation Officer from Natural
Resources Wales and moved to live in Eldoret (NW
Kenya), but continued with consultancy work (aquatic and
environmental sciences and legal work,). He was getting
more involved in environmental issues in journalism and
had written some brave and hard hitting articles. He died
while visiting his family in Germany in early January.
little wind exposure, like within a loch. The sprinkler
system would help to keep the oysters’ temperature just
that little bit lower until the tide returns.
Global warming and sea level rise are closely linked
and, according to scientists, Scotland’s coast may be
more at risk from rising sea levels than had been
thought.
Experts had believed that the land compressed in the last ice age - was rising faster than the
sea, but recent studies call this into question.
Understandably, sea level increase over the 21st Century
will affect intertidal areas and land-bases of oyster
farming operations. Higher storm surge activity, caused
by increased and more severe storms, may exacerbate
these impacts, and might make changes in exposure to
wind and wave conditions greater in some areas.
Modifications and upgrades of lease infrastructure are
likely to be a necessary part of adaptation that will
necessitate the maximum degree of policy and
legislative flexibility. In order to prosper and adapt to
new situations will also require for oyster mariculture to
be recognised widely as an appropriate use of public
waterways, having both community and government
support. Better marketing and community engagement
will no doubt achieve that improved perception of the
oyster industry.
An important projection for oyster mariculture is that
The Grower — 15
Climate change and adaptations cont.
rainfall is likely to become more erratic, with heavy
rainfall events followed by longer periods of dry
weather.
These issues could exacerbate bacterial
contamination and turbidity (by land run-off) in wet
periods and reduce nutrient availability in dry periods.
Changes in salinity in lochs are also plausible, which
may affect disease susceptibility, growth and mortality
rates.
Understandably, climate change will affect oyster
mariculture in differing ways in different places.
Although some changes, such as acidification and sea
level rise, are likely to be gradual and incremental, most
of the impacts will be felt as increased frequency or
intensity of extreme events, such as floods, heat waves
and storm surges, for instance. Therefore increasing
capacity to manage for climate variability and extremes
is fundamental to adapting to climate change. Climate
change impacts on oyster aquaculture will often relate
closely with up-loch / loch-surrounding management of
resources and development, and thus need to be
considered in a broader societal context of natural
resource management and landscape scale planning
decisions. Adaptation is likely to require management
of non-climate stressors to loch health in order to make
loch systems more resilient to changing conditions.
Efforts to these ends are also likely to provide increased
resilience of connected aquatic systems and of fish
species that use lochs as spawning or breeding grounds.
In my considered opinion, however, that ocean
acidification is of the greatest concern; it is the ongoing
decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by the
uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
Gradual increases in seawater acidity will affect oyster
reproduction and ability to lay down shell. Juvenile
oysters (especially larvae and spat) will be most
substantially affected. Some oyster breeding lines and
species appear more susceptible to acidification than
others and thankfully this is a field of ongoing research.
Recently researchers reported that Sydney rock oysters
can adapt to ocean acidification within two generations;
while the first oysters they tested suffered, their
offspring thrived in more acidic water – with an ability
to develop at a normal rate and without showing
abnormalities. It is now hoped that this could be
implemented in mariculture for adaptation to ocean
acidification, as ensuring a steady supply of disease
resistant juvenile oysters will be critical to the oyster
growing industry’s ability to cope with climate change.
However, there is still a long way to go before the
laboratory findings so far, translate into oysters that
producers can grow and sell, as it is as yet unknown
how quickly oysters can do it in the natural
environment. Furthermore, it is also still unknown what
the benefits of selecting for genes (like temperature- and
acidity-resistance) will be in the long term, let alone
what the potential trade-offs are (i.e. accompanying
adverse side effects and repercussions).
To encourage adaptation, industry bodies and
governments may also need to develop their own
approaches, programmes, policies and practices, with
the identification of key collective actions and
opportunities for adaptation for oyster mariculture. It is
vital to plan for these changes – for sure there will be
negative impacts to overcome, but possibly also new
opportunities which the industry can benefit from.
Dr Siegbert ‘Ziggy’ Otto BSc MSc PhD CPE/GDLaw
Calum I Duncan
Corporate Lawyers Ltd
Specialists in Business Legal Matters
Where your Goodwill Meets Ours
Whether preparing your business for sale or
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The Grower — 16
The Grower — 17
Promoting aquaculture in the EU
This is a project led by the Commission to support
the promotion of EU aquaculture and its image in the
public,
particularly
with
schools
and
children. ec.europa.eu/fisheries/inseparable/en/farmedeu#quicktabs-farming_in_the_eu_en=5
The “Farmed in the EU” school project has been
designed to raise awareness of the aquaculture sector
among Europe’s teenagers (12-18 years old). The
project will bring students closer to fish farming and
find out how it affects their local community. They will
explore its role in food production and in preserving the
environment. And they'll discover the different business
and career opportunities aquaculture offers.
There is plenty of scope for student research and
discovery of the different marine and freshwater fish,
molluscs, crustaceans and algae which are produced and
the different traditional and more modern production
methods used.
The project is currently being piloted in 20 schools
across 10 EU countries (Czech Republic, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland,
Spain, and the United Kingdom).
Conferences upcoming
THE SHELLFISH ASSOCIATION OF GREAT BRITAIN’S
46TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, DINNER AND AGM
19TH & 20TH MAY 2015
AT FISHMONGERS’ HALL, LONDON
13-14th May 2015
Newry, Northern Ireland
Final event of the Ibis Project “ 70 years of Applied
Science supporting marine and freshwater management.
www.loughs-agency.org/ibis/ibis-events/ibis-finalevent/
The draft programme and booking forms are available to
download from:
- Dropbox http://tinyurl.com/sagbdropbox
- our new Facebook Page http://tinyurl.com/
sagbconference2015 - or please email Claire at
[email protected].
6th International Oyster symposium oystersymposium.org/
Falmouth ,Cape Cod 21-23 October 2015
The Grower — 18
Publication of the final report from the review
of approaches for establishing exclusion
zones for shellfish harvesting around
sewage discharge points.
Food Standards Agency has published on 4 March
2015 the final report from the project which reviewed
relevant published and unpublished evidence relating to
setting and management of exclusion zones to control
viral risk from point source sewage discharges in
shellfish harvesting areas. The project was specifically
focused on norovirus and oyster growing sites.
The project looked at examples of exclusion or
buffer zones applied elsewhere in Europe and worldwide
(Italy, Netherlands, US, Canada and New Zealand).
Additionally, comparison was made between norovirus
and other viral models to assess norovirus and other
viruses’ fate in discharges from different diffuse sources.
Researchers assessed the level on impact that the
potential zoning system may have upon the oyster
industry in the UK. It was recognised that there is a
strong regional variation in norovirus risk profiles.
Although the Scottish oyster industry remains largely
unaffected by continuous discharges from large
population waste water treatment plants and intermittent
discharges from combined sewer overflows, the areas in
rural catchments may still be affected by norovirus load
from small volume of non-connected small crude
discharges or poorly functioning septic tanks. These
types of discharges have been reported to provide a
signification norovirus threat. Applicability of any
exclusion zoning system would have to consider these
strong regional differences in risk profiles.
The project identified a number of evidence gaps
which need to be addressed before an evidence based
zoning system is developed for management of
norovirus in the UK. It was concluded that a ‘whole
system’ approach may be required which could include
dynamic ‘active management’ with zoning based on
risk scoring.
The study provided an evidence base to inform
development of UK policy in respect of possible
establishment of exclusion zones and contributed to risk
management discussions within the EU.
Final technical report and summary report can be
found on FSA’s website:
http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/
foodborneillness/p01programme/p01projlist/fs513404
The Grower — 19
FSA project on norovirus
Cath McLeod
Norovirus periodically causes outbreaks of human
gastroenteritis which can be related to the consumption
of shellfish, both internationally and in the UK.
Norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis
in the community and is highly infectious, with the dose
required to induce illness estimated to be as low as 10
viral particles. In the case of shellfish, norovirus can be
introduced at various stages in the supply chain, through
infected food-handlers in restaurants, retail outlets and
processing facilities, or through contamination while the
shellfish are growing. Contamination during growth can
occur through different pathways, such as the discharge
of partially treated sewage from treatment facilities and
boats, and via on site systems (i.e. septic tanks) that fail.
While all bivalve species are susceptible, oysters are
perceived to be a higher risk as they are primarily
consumed raw and there is no viral inactivation step
(e.g. cooking) prior to consumption.
Regulatory controls are in place to minimise
contamination problems, these aim to restrict harvesting
of shellfish during high-risk periods and involve
measures such as sanitary surveys to identify sources of
pollution and ongoing microbiological sampling
programmes. These measures are generally successful in
limiting the risk to consumers, however the occasional
outbreak is still observed. Depuration is known to be
effective in significantly reducing the presence of
bacterial pathogens from oysters. However the efficacy
of depuration in removing norovirus is less certain, with
several outbreaks of norovirus resulting from oysters
that were depurated, and limited reductions noted in
laboratory studies to date.
To fully evaluate the efficacy of depuration as a
control, the EFSA Panel (2012) recommended, “Further
studies are needed to establish and optimise the
effectiveness of depuration and relaying for NoV
reduction”. Additionally, in 2013 a Food Standards
Agency (FSA) conference prioritised research on
depuration and noted that “innovative ways to
decontaminate oysters whilst in depuration tanks,
perhaps by interfering with the mechanism by which
norovirus binds to the animal structure” were needed.
Consistent with these identified research needs, the
FSA has recently commissioned a project that aims to
provide an evaluation of the usefulness of depuration as
a control option for norovirus in oysters. The two-year
project commenced in October 2014 and is being
conducted by Seafood Safety Assessment Ltd. The
project involves a literature review to evaluate the
effectiveness of depuration and a series of pilot
experiments to investigate depuration of norovirus from
Pacific oysters using a novel approach which aims to
release norovirus from ligands (histo blood group like
antigens) which specifically bind the virus within oyster
tissues. An important part of the project is to establish
the current depuration practices used in the UK, this is
Ensuring that both domestic and international consumers
of seafood enjoy the highest standards of food safety is the
main driving force behind the work of Dr Catherine McLeod,
who has been the Leader of the Seafood Safety and Market
Access Group within the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) for the past five years. The role
has involved liaison with both industry and government regulators in such programs as the Australian Shellfish Quality
Assurance Program and SafeFish, in preparation for meetings
such as the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, and in discussing the implementation of Australia’s policies on food
safety. Her qualifications include a Master’s (focusing on
marine biotoxins) and a PhD (on the uptake and elimination of
viruses in Pacific oysters), which gives her an overarching
perspective on two major human food safety issues affecting
seafood.
In her role at SARDI, Cath managed a team of 13 scientists to deliver a number of diverse research projects, including responding to specific active concerns, such as closures of
oyster production areas due to viral contamination, the risks
of harmful algal blooms and biotoxins on the safety of shellfish, and risk analysis in food chain hygiene.
Cath currently resides on Skye and has an active consultancy which provides advice to industry and governments on
best practice for ensuring the safety of bivalve molluscan
shellfish, and assisting seafood businesses to access global
markets.
being undertaken to ensure that the pilot studies mimic
depuration conditions used here. A questionnaire is
being distributed to depuration operators during March
2015 seeking information on current parameters used for
depuration in the UK. The project team would greatly
appreciate assistance from the industry on this part of
the project.
Undoubtedly the best way to reduce risk relating to
norovirus in shellfish is to improve the water quality of
areas in which shellfish are produced. While such efforts
represent the ‘ultimate solution’, any improvements in
depuration efficiency will also contribute to reducing
levels of norovirus in oysters. In this regard, the new
project embarked on by the FSA may provide additional
hope for oyster growers that one day modified
depuration could be applied to successfully purge
oysters of norovirus post harvest. For further
information on the project please do not hesitate to
contact Cath McLeod, on the contact details below.
Contact:
Dr Catherine McLeod
Seafood Safety Assessment Ltd.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 1471 844 725
The Grower — 20
A cold day in Neeltje Jans
Pictured right: Jens Petersen of
Danish Shellfish Centre with the 3
Canadian students, from left, Miami
Payne, Lauren Elliot and Soleil Grise
taken before the boat trip which froze us.
Below; Around the table in the
Expert Group meeting from left,
Manuela Gubernator, Karel Jan van
Ijsseldijk,
Angelo
Kouwenhoven,
Pauline Kamermans and Aad Smaal.
Pictured right Depuration system for mussels as seen at
Neeltje Jans processing plant and
Right below Murre Techniek at the trade show.
Gigas seed
We always have gigas seed available
in the range 4 to 10 gms, sometimes
larger.
prices and details from:
[email protected]
01631-720216
Shian Fisheries, South Shian,
Benderloch, Oban,
Argyll PA37 1SB
Grower grovel
In the last issue of The Grower a mistake
was inadvertently made in a headline that the
Editor would like to apologise for. She does
not want to repeat the mistake but asks in
mitigation that account should be taken of the
fact that when numbers like million, billion
and trillion are mentioned there is often a
financial connection.