Organized by:
Wiley Evans (Hakai Institute), Akash Sastri (Ocean Networks Canada), Tim Green (Vancouver Island University), Carl Butterworth (Vancouver Island University), and Darlene Winterburn (British Columbia Shellfish Grower’s Association)
Statement from British Columbia Shellfish Grower’s Association President Steve Pocock
Shellfish farmers are facing challenging times, ocean changes and disease risks are an ongoing concern. To be able to meet and interact with a wide range of scientists covering all of the main areas of our concerns in one place at one time and to feel the synergy of the ideas being proposed coming together to get the next steps in place was a really worthwhile process. With a spirit of co-operation between scientists and industry in place we have an opportunity to make real advances for our sector.
Background
Three challenges to the British Columbia (BC) shellfish industry have become an increasing concern over the last few years: summer mortality, infectious disease, and ocean acidification. The cause of summer mortality is not currently known, nor is if and how it may be linked to changing ocean conditions (i.e. ocean acidification and/or warming) or infectious disease. Summer mortality has been documented each year in the region over the last few years and evidence exists for a role of pathogens.
The BC Shellfish Grower’s Association (BCSGA), the Province of BC, and the Hakai Institute initiated the Baynes Sound Environmental Intelligence Collaborative (BaSEIC) in 2017 to generate baseline physical and marine CO2 system information in this poorly-studied albeit important region. BaSEIC has served an increasing role in coalescing the research and shellfish aquaculture communities, with now many institutions working together toward the goal of understanding and addressing these industry challenges. This first BaSEIC workshop aimed to establish the state-of-knowledge for Baynes Sound. The information provided at this workshop was then used to guide the discussion of short- and long-term research priorities needed to fill knowledge gaps and aid in shellfish industry adaptation.
Framework
A vulnerability analysis of the United States shellfish industry to ocean acidification by Ekstrom et al (2015) provided a useful conceptual framework whereby overall vulnerability is the sum of marine ecosystem exposure and the social vulnerability. Social vulnerability includes both sensitivity, that is the local societal importance of shellfish, and adaptive capacity.
Workshop
For the Baynes Sound workshop, we utilized this framework to help in addressing particular questions related to the three threats to the BC shellfish industry. Specifically, regarding marine ecosystem exposure, our aim was to provide information on known oceanographic patterns and, for the case of marine CO2, provide estimates on how patterns might change in the future. In our case, social vulnerability was replaced with industry vulnerability, and questions regarding sensitivity were: i) what species are most vulnerable to exposure to adverse ocean conditions?; ii) how does this vulnerability vary across life stages?; iii) are there carry-over effects to subsequent life stages?; and iv) is there a CO2 system parameter-specific vulnerability that may vary over life stages? Lastly, adaptive capacity was focused on ways to avoid exposure and the possibility of selective breeding as a path forward for the industry.
This approach helped frame the industry vulnerability, leading to the identification of short- and long-term research priorities as well as the following key recommendations.
Key recommendations from this workshop
Strengthen bi-direction information transfer between scientists and shellfish growers.
Centralize science information on a community webpage that would include a catalog of available data, model forecasts, and list serve for email alerts.
Enhance coordination between research institutions conducting observing, modeling, and experimental work.