Coastal Shellfish — A Sustainable Resource: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Shellfish Restoration, held in Cork, Ireland, 28 September–2 October 1999

223 Pages·2001·7.93 MB·English

by  C. A. Burton

Coastal Shellfish - A Sustainable Resource
Developments in Hydrobiology 160
Series editor
H. J. Dumont
Coastal Shellfish
A Sustainable Resource
Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Shellfish
Restoration, held in Cork, Ireland, 28 September-2 October 1999
Edited by
Gavin Burnell
University College Cork, Ireland
Reprinted from Hydrobiologia, volume 465 (2001)
Springer-Science+Business Media, B.V.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-94-010-3900-0 ISBN 978-94-010-0434-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-010-0434-3
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights reserved
© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2001
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2001
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.
v
TABLEOF CONTENTS
Preface ix-x
Listofreferees/Acknowledgements x
MANAGEMENTTOOLS FOR BIVALVE MOLLUSC FISHERIES
Shellfish ranching inthe UK
C.A. Burton, J.T.MacMillan, M.M. Learmouth 1-5
Bivalveenhancementand restoration strategies inFlorida, U.S.A.
William S.Arnold 7-19
Recovery of intertidal mussel beds in the Waddensea: use of habitat maps in the
management ofthefishery
N. Dankers, A.G. Brinkman, A. Meijboom, E. Dijkman 21-30
Onthedynamics ofthe stocksofbluemussels (Mytilus edulisL.)intheDanish Wadden
Sea
Sten Munch-Petersen, PerSand Kristensen 31-43
THE BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENTOF CRUSTACEAN FISHERIES
The role of lobster (Homarus spp.) hatcheries inranching, restoration and remediation
programmes
C.A. Burton 45-48
An historical overview of the Republic of Ireland's lobster (Homarus gammarus Lin
naeus) fishery, with reference to European and North American (Homarus americanus
Milne Edwards) lobster landings
R.M. Browne, J. P. Mercer,M.J. Duncan 49-62
Searchingfor the early benthic phase (EBP) ofthe European lobster: atrans-European
studyofcobblefauna
Adrian Linnane, Brendan Ball, John P. Mercer, Ronan Browne, Gro van der Meeren, Halldis
Ringvold, Colin Bannister, David Mazzoni, Brian Munday 63-72
VI
Conflict between two inshorefisheries: for whelk (Buccinum undatum) and brown crab
(Cancerpagurus), inthe southwestIrishSea
EdwardFahy 73-83
THE REAL AND POTENTIALIMPACTS OF SEA URCHIN EXPLOITATION
The commercial potential of the common sea urchin Echinus esculentusfrom the west
coastof Scotland
M.S.Kelly, P.V.Owen,P. Pantazis 85-94
Implications of temporal and spatial variability in Paracentrotus lividus populations to
the associated commercial coastal fishery
DavidK.A.Barnes,AnneC.Crook 95-102
Theimpactof scallopdragson seaurchinpopulationsand benthosinthe Bayof Fundy,
Canada
S.M.C.Robinson, S.Bernier,A. Macintyre 103-114
ENVIRONMENTALIMPACT OF SHELLFISH EXPLOITATION AND AQUACULTURE
Short-term impactof blue mussel dredging(Mytilus edulisL.)on abenthiccommunity
P. Dolmer, T.Kristensen,M.L.Christiansen, M.F.Petersen,P.S. Kristensen,E.Hoffmann 115-127
Theeffect of scallop dredging on Irish Seabenthos: experiments using aclosed area
C.Bradshaw, i.o. Veale, A.S.Hill,A.R.Brand 129-138
Growth statistics of an exploited razor clam (Ensis siliqua) bed at Gormanstown, Co
Meath,Ireland
EdwardFahy,JoanneGaffney 139-151
The influenceof dredgedesign on the catch of Callista chione(Linnaeus, 1758)
M.B.Gaspar,M.D.Dias,A.Campos,C.C.Monteiro,M.N.Santos,A.Chicharo, L.Chicharo 153-167
Preliminary appraisal of an innovative hydraulic dredge with vibrating and sorting
bottom on clam beds (Chamelea gallina)
E.Rambaldi,M.L.Bianchini,G.Priore,G.Prioli,N.Mietti,T.Pagliani 169-173
Apreliminary study on the effects of oyster culturing structures on birds in asheltered
Irishestuary
G.Hilgerloh,J.O'Halioran,I.C. Kelly, G.M.Burnell 175-180
DISEASES AND HARMFULALGAL EVENTS
Livingwith bonamiasis: Irish research since1987
SarahC.Culloty, MaireF. Mulcahy 181-186
Asatellite and field portraitof a Karenia mikimotoibloom offthe south coastof Ireland,
August1998
R.Raine,S.O'Boyle,I. O'Higgins,M.White,J.Patching,BronwynCahill,I. McMahon 187-193
VII
SHELLFISH ASENVIRONMENTALWATCHDOGS ANDMONITORS
The assessing of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) rearing performances by the
IFREMERIREMORAnetwork:methodandfirst results(1993-98) inBrittany(France)
PG.Fleury, E.Goyard,J.Mazurte, S.Claude,J.F.Bouget,A.Langlade,Y. LeCoguic 195-208
The roleofbivalvemolluscsastools inestuarine sedimenttoxicitytesting: Areview
PamelaA. Byrne,JohnO'Halioran 209-217
Subject index 219-224
Hydrobiologia 465:ix-x,2001. ix
G.Burnell(ed.),CoastalShellfish- ASustainableResource.
Preface
As we begin the 2ISt century there is a growing, worldwidecommitmentto restore our planet's
degradedcoastal ecosystems.Governmentsatalllevelshaverenewedtheirinterestinpreserving
and enhancing coastal resources. Volunteer organizations concerned with declines in environ
mental quality and fisheries have developed successful programs to identify problem areas,
recommend improvements, and monitor progress. In response to this commitment, a small
group of government, industry, and community representatives from the world community,
anxious to tum the tide on declining environmental quality, came together in 1995 to plan
the first International Conference on Shellfish Restoration (held on Hilton Head Island, South
Carolina in 1996). The conference was designed to recognize the importance of shellfish as
indicators of environmental quality and to examinehow the health of coastal ecosystems could
be improved through shellfish restoration. Consumed raw in many cultures, shellfish serve as
excellent indicators of environmental health. When concentrations of bacterial or viral patho
gens, heavy metals or toxic chemicals in waters or shellfish meats exceed safe levels, harvest
waters are closed. Heavy loading of nutrients from runoff decrease oxygen levels causes fish
kills and adie-offofbenthic organismsand submergedaquatic vegetation. Such effects indicate
that the quality of these environments is compromised and the waters may he unsuitable for
other marine life or human activities.
The second conference returned to Hilton Head in 1998 where over 200 scientists, resource
managers, and government officials met to consider how community, regional, national and
international partnerships can help the shellfish restoration process.
InOctober 1999,theICSRconferencewasheld inCork,Ireland, where ittook onaEuropean
dimension, and its scope was broadened to include non-molluscan shellfish such as sea urchin
and lobsters. The emphasis throughout the conference was on the marriage of science and
management. While highlighting shellfish as a valuable coastal resource, ICSR Europe also
addressed important new restoration topics such as artificial reefs, interactions with birds, the
carrying capacity of bays, red tides, and the genetic implications of sea ranching.
Most shellfish species have a broadcast spawning strategy which results in a variable and
often unpredictable recruitment. As a result they are very vulnerable to over-fishing or natural
catastrophic events which reduce the critical mass of their spawning stock.One remedy to this
problem is to use aquaculture technology to produce large number of juveniles which, with
suitable nursery protection, could then be released back into areas which have been depleted
of their native populations. Countries such asJapan have been practicingthis type of integrated
aquaculture-fisheriesmanagementforseveraldecades andthetimeisripe foritsimplementation
on aglobal scale. There isnow evidencefrom several research groups that ifacritical spawning
stock is established in ahydrographically suitablearea the populations should, in time, become
self-recruiting.
Recent concerns about the over estimation of world fish production, particularly in China,
havehighlightedthe need todevelop aquatic industrieswhich are sustainableand do notrely on
adiminishing supply of fishmeal for their production. Once again shellfish scores in that many
x
commercially exploited species of molluscs and echinoderms are primary producers, feeding
low down the food chain on phytoplankton or macroalgae. This makes them ecologically and
philosophically more desirable candidates for coastal farming and fishing operations.
So, there is a greater need than ever for the enhancement ofour coastal ecosystems though
shellfish restoration. Not only does the public have a keen interest in restoring water quality to
shellfish-growing water standards, but so does the aquaculture industry, which has focused on
advancing the quality assurance and safety of aquaculture products. The demand for seafood
is expected to increase significantly in the next ten years, and the industry will need new sites
with good waterquality. Our goal istoprovideforums throughoutthe worldto draw attention to
shellfish, shellfish waterquality,and related issues, and to foster partnerships and the exchange
ofinformation to further the science ofrestoration and aquaculture.
G. BURNELL
D.LEONARD
R.DEYOE
List ofreferees
P.S. Kristensen J.Moore A. Smaal
A. Brand J.O'Halloran C. Wilson
P.Britz M. Gaspar P.Goulletquer
P.Cook A. Jensen D. Barnes
A. Taylor R. Furness B.Ball
K. Ramsay M.Luckenbach G. Burnell
E. Fahy M. Kelly S.Shumway
M. Kaiser P.Dolmer S. De Grave
F.O'Beirn S.Jenkins S.Robinson
J. Lewis W.Arnold N.Dankers
G. Flimlin R. Carnegie L. Coen
G.Thayer E.McKnight G.Savidge
O.Tully C. Bradshaw
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank NOAA for their generous support for both the ISCR'99 Conference in
Cork and also the publication ofthis volume.
Hydrobiologia 465: 1-5,2001.
G,Burnell(ed.),CoastalShellfish- ASustainableResource.
©2001KluwerAcademicPublishers.PrintedintheNetherlands.
Shellfish ranching intheUK
C. A. Burton,J. T. MacMillan & M. M.Learmouth
Sea Fish IndustryAuthority,SeaFishAquaculture,MarineFarming Unit,Ardtoe,Acharacle,
Argyll PH364LD,U.K.
Key words: mussel, Mytilus edulis, flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, Manila clam, Tapes philippinarum, Pacific oyster,
Crassostrea gigas,kingscallop,Pectenmaximus,Palourdeornativeclam,Ruditapesdecussatus,lobster,
Homarusgammarus,cockle,Cerastodermaedule,shellfish,ranching,UK
Abstract
There are six main species of shellfishof commercialimportance within the UK (mussels, flatoysters, cockles,
kingscallops,Manilaclamsandlobsters)whichcanbethoughtofasranchedtovaryingdegrees.Aseventh(Pacific
oysters)canbeincluded,sinceaverysmallproportionoftheproduction mayundergoaperiodofgrowthonnatural
habitatsinsomeareas.Aneighthspecies(Palourdesornativeclams)appearedinthestatistics forthe firsttimein
a numberof yearsin 1998.Seafish,as part of itsrole inpromotingthe sustainable managementof resources,has
examinedthecurrentstateoftheshellfishaquacultureindustryintheUK.
Introduction onShellfishRestoration,soughttoredress thebalance
byhighlightingthecontributionofranchedshellfishto
During 1998 and 1999, Seafish undertook a major theUK'soutputoffishand fishproducts.
review of the UK shellfish industry, its markets, its For some species, the culture industry is well es
potential and its future (Lake, 1999). As part of this tablished (e.g., mussel, Mytilus edulis; flat oyster,
work,theshellfishaquacultureindustrywasexamined Ostreaedulis;Manilaclam, Tapesphilippinarum;and
in detail. Culture methods vary from species to spe Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas) or in its infancy
cies, but most are reared either semi-intensively or (e.g., king scallop, Pecten maximus; and Palourde
extensively. It is within the realm of extensive cul or native clam, Ruditapes decussatuss, whereas, for
ture that aquaculture and fisheries interact and some others, exploitation in this way is onlyjust commen
ofthedistinctionsbegin toblur.The terms'extensive' cing (e.g., lobster, Homarus gammarus; and cockle,
and 'ranched' are often used interchangeably, which Cerastodermaedulei.
can lead toconfusion. Forthe purposesof thisreview
'extensive' istakento meangrownatlowormoderate
densitieswithsomelimitedhusbandryorcontainment.
Datasources
Whereas to be described as 'ranched' some extens
ively grownspecies are placed for allor part of their
life onto natural habitats, usually the seabed, and Published fishery and aquaculture production statist
grown to market size with little or no further human ics were drawn from a number of official sources;
input or husbandry. Harvesting can be carried out in predominantly the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
a numberof ways, using eitherdedicated systems or andFood (MAFF) (forEngland andWales),theScot
conventional fishing methods. tish Executive Rural Affairs Department (SERAD;
As the review progressed, it became apparentthat formerly, the Scottish Office Agriculture, Envir
the size and economic importance of the 'ranched' onment and Fisheries Department, SOAEFD) and
sector in particular was poorly reported and under the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland
estimated withinthe UK and elsewhere.The original (DANI).Internationalstatisticaldata(e.g.,FAO)com
poster,presentedatthethird InternationalConference piledfortheUKwereused forcomparison.