The bivalve shellfish aquaculture industry has rapidly developed over the last two decades, becoming an economically important sector to many rural US coastal communities. Shellfish aquaculture is a sustainable practice that is resource efficient and nutrient dense, thus having a high potential to fulfill global food demands. Expansion of shellfish aquaculture is limited by labor constraints –including labor shortages, high labor costs, and variable working conditions across farms. The process of culturing hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) and Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) has high labor requirements due to biofouling control, gear maintenance and cleaning, and splitting and grading product. Data on labor demands for various shellfish production processes and culture methods are limited.
This research measures labor demands in Virginia and Florida shellfish aquaculture to assess production efficiencies, evaluate potential technological substitutions, and determine optimal workforce development. Biweekly surveys will be used to record labor demands, harvest practices, workforce management, and day-to-day challenges of shellfish farmers. Interviews will be conducted to evaluate commercial shellfish farm employers and employees’ views on labor availability, job satisfaction, stressors on productivity, technological substitutions, and industry growth. Data processing include interview analyses identifying emergent themes and generalized linear models assessing factors driving labor demands. A technoeconomic production model will be refined from the results. A productivity benchmarking tool will be developed to improve production efficiency and total product output at individual shellfish farms. By improving our understanding of labor constraints in shellfish aquaculture, expansion can proceed while facilitating economic development and improving sustainability in the sector.