Developing an automated oyster pouch flipper

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In this project, NSERC funds will support North Island College (NIC) and Ritchie Holdings Ltd. (RHL) todevelop an automated oyster pouch flipper that can be affixed to the side of a boat, which will increase oysterfarming efficiency and safety. The Pacific Oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is the most widely farmed shellfishspecies in British Columbia (BC). A novel oyster grow-out system in BC involves placing oysters in floatingrectangular pouches made of semi-rigid plastic mesh that are linked together, forming long strings. Thesepouch systems make the oysters and infrastructure convenient to access for maintenance and harvesting, whilekeeping the oysters in prime growing conditions. However, pouches must be flipped 2-6 times per month toprevent the build-up of marine biofouling, which is labour intensive and hazardous. The project will involvedesign, testing, construction, and modification of a new prototype that will be tested at RHL's commercialshellfish tenures off the coast of Vancouver Island. Results of this project will help RHL overcome animportant labour challenge and increase their capacity for oyster production. The Canadian shellfishaquaculture sector produces sustainable, healthy seafood products for both domestic and global markets.Innovation and automation of grow-out systems, in a sector known for its 'low-tech' and labour intensivepractices, will help Canadian shellfish growers grow their operations and remain competitive in global markets.