03/06/14: No Time to Clam up About Oysters

‘The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster’ said David Hume (1711-76) a Scottish philosopher regarded as one of the most important figures in history of Western philosophy.

Some sections of the international oyster industry are being ravaged by a disease known as the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS).  Following outbreaks in Europe and New Zealand, POMS was first detected in Australia in the Georges River near Sydney in 2010.

The opportunity to engage the world’s very best POMS experts and talk about the issue and the solutions will take place at World Aquaculture Adelaide 2014 at the Adelaide Convention Centre in South Australia, from 7 to 11 June 2014.

There are two main days of oyster farming activity at the conference plus networking and workshop events that will allow oyster farmers to engage with researchers, disease specialists and other growers. This is all aimed at supporting the business and husbandry decisions of the growers in the room.

The program on Sunday 8 June includes an Oyster Farmer’s Day session entitled ‘Survival in risky times’. There are many lessons to be learnt from the last four years of POMS and other Pacific Oyster related incidents in Australia.  This is forcing Australian growers to rethink how they proof themselves against significant business loss. The emphasis will be on looking at the business model of a US grower and their response in uncertain times, species diversification options, real time oyster stress monitors for the field, and growing methods for better survival rates.

On the morning of the second day (Monday June 9) the emphasis changes to ‘Climate change & survival’.  Disturbing patterns of water temperature and quality and severe weather have been very evident in the last two years.  This session concentrates on shellfish in a changing world, and the effect on reproduction.

Later that day the move is to look at ‘Effective production and husbandry’ which is significantly impacted by the growing environment and animal genetics. This session focuses on the impact of bacteria and algae on larval survival, the oyster's antiviral reaction and the potential to 'immunise' oysters at hatchery stage, the genetic diversity of Sydney Rock Oyster breeding lines and the effect of culture system on oysters.  The Oyster Farmer’s Day sessions are sponsored by the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre.

World Aquaculture Adelaide 2014 is an opportunity for the international aquaculture community to present their research/work, exchange ideas and discuss a vision for the future of the aquaculture industry as they focus on the theme of ‘Create, Nurture, Grow’, reflecting the dynamic nature of aquaculture development in the region.

The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd.