Shellfish Aquaculture Innovation in British Columbia's Central Coast

在NSERC的资助下，北岛学院和一个地区渔业协会将在未来三年内种植一种当地的贝类，这将使该地区的原住民受益。该研究项目将培育太平洋象拔蚌（发音为粘胶鸭），这是最大的穴居蛤物种，原产于不列颠哥伦比亚省。象拔蚌养殖始于20世纪90年代的不列颠哥伦比亚省，从那时起，考虑到这种蛤在亚洲市场的价值高达每磅150美元，人们对扩大该行业的兴趣越来越大。然而，直到2017年，象拔蚌管理框架才最终确定；自20世纪90年代初以来，在不列颠哥伦比亚省沿海地区首次接受了种植象拔蚌的申请。拟议的为期三年的ARD项目将与中央海岸商业渔业协会（CCCFA）合作，探索在BC省中央海岸进行象拔鸭养殖的预商业化。CCCFA是一个营利性企业，由四个中央海岸社区组成：Heiltsuk、Kitasoo/Xai'Xais、Nuxalk和Wuikinuxv。研究活动将在上述三个沿海第一民族（Kitasoo/Xai'Xais民族、Heiltsuk民族和Wuikinuxv民族）的传统领土内进行。项目第一年的重点是比较中部海岸五个潜在象拔蚌养殖场的生物物理条件，并种植象拔蚌种子，供第2年和第3年使用。第2年和第3年将比较不同地点的象拔蚌幼崽的表现（生长和生存），并在潮下地点共同培养海带以帮助象拔蚌的表现。生物物理和象拔蚌性能数据将为场地生产能力的数学模型提供信息。象拔蚌养殖对沿海社区来说是一个相对较新的、利润丰厚的经济发展机会。该项目将为中央海岸的象拔蚌养殖提供首次商业化前研究，并将在CCCFA内部建立能力，成为中央海岸的第一家象拔蚌养殖公司。CCCFA在海洋渔业和海鲜市场方面拥有广泛的知识，并将完全有能力利用项目成果使其业务多样化并增加收入。

North Island College and an area fisheries association will grow a local shellfish over the next three years that will benefit area First Nations, thanks to a grant from NSERC. The research project will grow Pacific geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck), which is the largest burrowing clam species and is native to British Columbia (BC). Geoduck farming began in BC in the 1990s, and since that time there has been growing interest in expanding the industry, given the clams are worth up to US$150/lb in Asian markets. However, it was only in 2017 that a geoduck management framework was finalized; applications for tenure space to farm geoduck throughout the BC coast are now being accepted for the first time since the early 1990s. The proposed 3-year ARD project will explore geoduck aquaculture pre-commercialization in the BC Central Coast, in partnership with the Central Coast Commercial Fisheries Association (CCCFA) - a for-profit business that is an alliance of four Central Coast communities: Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai'Xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv. Research activities will take place within the traditional territories of three of the above coastal First Nations (the Kitasoo/Xai'Xais Nation, the Heiltsuk Nation, and the Wuikinuxv Nation). Year 1 of the project will focus on comparing biophysical conditions at five potential geoduck aquaculture sites in the Central Coast, and growing geoduck seed stock for use in years 2 and 3. Years 2 and 3 will compare juvenile geoduck performance (growth and survival) between sites, and kelp will be co-cultured on subtidal sites to assist geoduck performance. Both the biophysical and geoduck performance data will inform a mathematical model on the sites' production capacity. Geoduck aquaculture is a relatively new, and highly lucrative, economic development opportunity for coastal communities. This project will provide the first pre-commercialization research on geoduck aquaculture in the Central Coast, and will build capacity within CCCFA to become the first geoduck aquaculture company in the Central Coast. CCCFA has extensive knowledge related to marine fisheries and seafood markets, and will be more than capable of utilizing the project results to diversify their operations and increase revenue.