The rapid growth in oyster culture cannot be sustained by reliance on wild seed, further demonstrated by inconsistent wild spat collection observed over the past two years. There is a recognition by the industry that hatchery produced seed is necessary to ensure the sustainability and security of the industry into the future.
After surveying the oyster growing industry and finding that a need for consistent seed supply was real, Lennox Island, in 2016 began the process of retrofitting an existing shore based building into a shellfish hatchery. The retrofit process involved upgrading the water supply system, adding water supply treatment and UV disinfection, building an algae lab and algae production room, building and equipping a larval room and seed nursery and building FLUPSY (floating upweller systems) for the on-growing of the seed in the ambient environment.
Staff were trained through a variety of means including mentoring at the Eskasoni Shellfish Hatchery and both on-site training and off-site training at facilities such as Valores and the Truro Agricultural College.
The operation now employs five full time staff, three of which are First Nation.
Since its inception in 2016, the hatchery has produced over 15 million seed including 1 million seed that have gone to the Band’s new off-bottom lease which offers another opportunity for additional First Nation employment.
Mike Randall, Executive Director of the Lennox Island Development Corporation
will discuss how the Band has developed a highly advanced commercial shellfish hatchery in just under four years, starting virtually from scratch.