Increased Sustainable Production Through Modification of the Hydraulic Systems Used to Handle Blue Mussel Seed to Increase Productivity and Reduce Production Costs

Summary:
Blue mussel seed collection, stripping, grading, and socking operations are the most costly and labour-intensive activities on a mussel farm in Newfoundland and Labrador. Seed is handled multiple times and is stored on working platforms for extended periods of time while individual pieces of equipment are installed and removed. Configuration and design of hydraulic systems used by all growers is considered inadequate for the full demands of blue mussel aquaculture. Typically, each piece of equipment has its own hydraulics package to power the equipment. A new hydraulic system was tested in spring 2009 that had the oil capacity to operate multiple hydraulic motors at any given time. This process enabled automation of the seed collection to seed socking operation and significantly reduced the cost of production.  Seed collection-stripping-grading-socking trials revealed socking capacity of 150 trays per day or approximately 15,000lbs of seed socked per day. Currently this has increased to 350 trays per day, representing a two-fold improvement in socking capacity over the previous process.

Project Lead: LBA Enterprises Ltd.

Total Project Cost: $23,985
           
DFO-AIMAP Contribution: $16,116

Other Financial Support:

• Proponent: LBA Enterprises Ltd.

For more information, please contact the regional coordinator:

Newfoundland Region coordinator, Chris.Hendry@dfo-mpo.gc.ca