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Design, Installation and Assessment of Innovative Duck Deterrent System to Reduce Predation of High Value Aquaculture Mytilus Product and Minimize Duck Mortality

Final Report
Island Sea Farms Inc
AIMAP 2012-P07

Introduction

Island Sea Farms Inc is a private aquaculture company in the business of culturing two species of mussels (Mytilus edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis) and two hybrids developed by the company. The company has been operating for 13 years, has a hatchery on Salt Spring Island and deep water leases near Cortes Island. They employ 10 full time and up to 10 part time employees. Island Sea Farms has the only dedicated mussel hatchery in the world and have twice received the award for Technology Innovation for Aquaculture (2006, 2010) from the Mid Island Science and Technology Innovation Council. The company is the largest BC mussel producer selling 400 tonnes annually to Asian and North American markets and is looking to take advantage of the Asian demand by increasing production to 1000 tonnes in 2013.

Mussels are one of the fastest growing aquaculture products and the market demand far exceeds the current supply. Demand for BC cultured shellfish increased almost 30% from 2009-2010 representing a 25% increase in landed value with the greatest increase from scallops and mussels (60%). Mytilus spp culture contributes to the Canadian economy by producing more than 23,000 tonnes annually. Canadian mussel exports have increased 9% from 2008 to 2009. There is room in the market for Canada and BC to increase production of mussels and realize a significant increase in revenue. 

This project is an aquaculture industry-driven development and testing of an innovative technology that will provide a deterrent to diving ducks that currently consume large numbers of cultured mussels in BC, Canada and worldwide. Economic losses to duck predation are in excess of $250,000 annually for the BC industry alone.

Project Description

Overview

Current duck deterrent methods involve the use of discarded salmon farm nets hung on individual rafts. These methods are not suitable because:

The innovative Duck Deterrent System (DDS) was designed with three components

  1. a unique net system that envelopes groups or single rafts with protection under the rafts as well as on the sides
  2. a specially designed net deployment and retrieval platform to efficiently handle the net envelopes
  3. a net maintenance and cleaning system, re-purposed from the salmon farming industry, to remove heavy bio-fouling

Project Objectives and Results

  1. Eliminate current losses due to duck predation ($50,000/year)
    Minimal product was lost with the new net envelopes. High currents blew the lighter mesh of the net envelops into the outer mussel lines allowing the ducks to access the small (less than 45mm) mussels through the net. This was quickly remedied by putting larger mussels on the outer lines and did not result in measurable loss.
  2. Cost saving of approximately $20,000
    Annual costs for net deployment and retrieval were reduced $20,000 - 2011 cost was $53,588 compared to $34,790 for the new system in 2012. Time required to deploy and retrieve nets envelopes was reduced from 6 hours per panel to 2 hours reducing both diver costs and length of time the nets are in the water. Other costs were eliminated due to reduced fouling - $500/panel for off-site net cleaning and need for in situ net cleaning estimated at $5,000.
  3. Eliminate diving duck entanglement and mortality
    A key part of this project was to eliminate ducks becoming entangled in the nets and drowning. The new system resulted in zero mortality compared to 12 mortalities per bottom panel in the old system. An additional benefit of the new system was that once the source of food was made unavailable, ducks left the test sites and were not seen for months.
  4. Improve safety of the work environment for divers and farm staff
    The new net envelopes weighed 80% less than the old system and fouling was reduced by 70%. Crew and diver safety was greatly improved because the lighter nets were more manageable and more easily maintained, less opportunity existed for diver's gear to become entangled, and diver's time in the water for deployment, maintenance and retrieval was reduced.
  5. Disseminate project information to Canadian mussel farmers to decrease the cost of duck predation
    A Communications Plan was devised to ensure the project information was provided to Canadian mussel farmers. The plan included the following.
    • Development of a power point presentation showing technology and project results
    • Delivery of presentation at Aquaculture Canada 2013
    • Follow-up conversations and emails with shellfish growers interested in the technology to provide additional information

Aquaculture Canada 2013 - A presentation on the Duck Deterrent System technology and project results was made at the Innovations in Shellfish Aquaculture session, Aquaculture Canada 2013, June 2013. This session was financially supported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, AIMAP. Over 50 shellfish growers from BC, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and PEI attended the presentation and the round table discussion. Since this presentation, several growers and equipment distributors have expressed interest and received additional information.

Project Changes

Work Platform construction and commissioning was delayed 10 months and has yet to be completed. The platform was deemed a “vessel” by Ministry of Transport requiring it to meet strict engineering and functional standards. The delay was caused by slow response by the regulatory agency due to limited staff availability, structural design changes to meet new standards, and delay in approval and issuance of the license. As of Oct 1, 2013 the licensing was completed and work started on adding the platform components to the main structure. It is expected the work platform will be completed before the end of the year.

For the above reasons, the Work Platform is estimated to be 30% over budget. All additional costs will be paid by Island Sea Farms.

Activities after March 31, 2013

The project was not completed by March 31, 2013 as the work platform was delayed for reasons discussed above. Work also continued on the net envelopes to improve the design and efficiency of use. Island Sea Farms covered all costs associated with the project activities after March 31, 2013 including:

Work Platform

Net Design

It is expected that further efficiencies and modification of net design will continue after the work platform is commissioned and in service. Development of standard operating procedures and refinements in processes and techniques will also take place at this time.

Implementation

The company plans to protect 100% of all Island Sea Farms sites with the net envelopes in 2013. Development of a Klahoose First Nation farm site in partnership with Island Sea Farms (part of AIMAP 2011-P02) was completed in 2012 and the net envelopes will be used to protect the crop on the Klahoose site beginning 2013.

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