The fourth WWF Dialogue meeting to discuss standards for the North American mollusc aquaculture industry will be April 8th in Providence, Rhode Island in conjunction with the National Shellfish Association's annual conference.
Details of these meetings are available at the WWF website www.worldwildlife.org/cci/dialogues/mollusc.cfm.
After the NSA meeting, the Dialogue moves to New Zealand April 17-18. The first meeting of the abalone Dialogue will be April 29-30 in Australia.
Molluscs, mainly bivalve shellfish, make up approximately one-quarter of the world's aquaculture production. China is the top producer, responsible for slightly more than 80 percent of world production. Other important mollusc producing nations include Japan, the United States, France, Thailand, Spain, New Zealand and Italy.
Unlike most finfish and crustaceans, filter-feeding bivalves exploit naturally occurring phytoplankton at the base of the food chain, which eliminates the need for external feed inputs. Also, they often help keep the water clean by filtering sediment and unwanted nutrients. Filtering activities by oysters on a one-acre oyster farm, for instance, can compensate for the nitrogenous wastes of almost 50 coastal inhabitants.
A more indirect environmental benefit of mollusc aquaculture is that, because this type of farming depends on clean water, coastal communities that farm molluscs are highly committed to protecting water quality. This often helps create the political will needed to improve sewage treatment plants and local septic systems.
Regardless of these benefits, mollusc aquaculture is not without its challenges, as noted in the issues section below.
The WWF Dialogue had identified 6 key environmental and social issues related to mollusc production:
* Ecosystem integrity: Habitat interactions and ecological community structure modifications; harvesting techniques, such as dredging; and production techniques, such as netting.
* Genetics: Induced sterility in hatcheries, gene transfer to wild populations, inbreeding, and escapes.
* Introduced Species: Deliberate or inadvertent introduction of new exotic species, pests, and pathogens.
* Disease and pest management: Transfer of disease and pests to and from the wild, within the wild, and within aquaculture systems; loading of pathogens; and the use of chemicals for preventing and controlling diseases and pests.
* Farm maintenance: Management and disposal of debris (e.g., nets and bags), chemicals, and organic waste; processing of wastes; treatment of effluent; and maintenance of equipment.
* Multi-user cooperation: Location, development, and aesthetics of aquaculture sites; and public access to aquaculture sites.
The WWF's approach to developing standards for molluscs is different than the approach used for other aquaculture species. Rather than conducting Dialogue meetings on a global scale, WWF convenes regional dialogues. This strategy addresses the fact that there are significant differences between the way in which various types of molluscs are produced in various regions of the world. As a result, the environmental and social impacts are different. The strategy also recognizes that most mollusc aquaculture is done on a smaller scale than that used for other types of fish farming. The initial focus will be on North America and one additional region, before expanding into two more regions. WWF expects that standards will be developed by the end of 2008 for North American clams, oysters, scallops and mussels. Learn more about the general approach WWF uses for each aquaculture dialogue.
The first Dialogue meeting was held at the WWF-US headquarters in August 2004. Attendees included 20 stakeholders - producers, researchers, donors, market analysts, and association representatives -- from eight countries. View the full list of participants. (PDF, 130k) Following opening remarks (PDF, 80k) from WWF's Dr. Jason Clay and presentations about abalone (PDF, 719k), clams, scallops, mussels, and oysters, the participants discussed the environmental and social impacts of those species. Click here for the agenda. (PDF, 83k)
The Dialogue was on hold for a few years because of funding delays. However, it is in progress again. The second meeting was held October 12, 2007 in Welches, Oregon. Participants discussed the draft goals and objectives for the dialogue, environmental and social issues that pertain to mollusc aquaculture and principles to address each issue. Download a summary of the meeting and Dialogue coordinator Colin Brannen's presentation to participants. Three additional meetings will be held in North America in early 2008: Download a summary of the third meeting held January 19th in North Carolina. Dialogue meetings overseas also are being planned for 2008.
PRINCIPLES: Mollusc Dialogue participants have identified eight principles that provide the framework for developing the criteria, indicators and standards for responsible mollusc farming in North America. The criteria will provide direction on how to reduce each impact and the indicators will address how to measure the extent of each impact. Standards will be quantitative performance levels that evaluate whether a principle is achieved. The principles are:
* Obey the law and comply with all national and local regulations
* Conserve natural habitat and local biodiversity
* Protect the health and genetic integrity of wild populations
* Manage disease and pests in an environmentally responsible manner
* Use resources efficiently
* Be a good neighbor and conscientious coastal citizen
* Continually improve practices over time
* Develop and operate farms in a socially responsible manner
Interested in participating in the dialogue? Fill out our sign-up form or contact Aquaculture Program Officer Colin Brannen at colin.brannen@wwfus.org or 202-778-9534.
The 18th Annual Auction for the Student Endowment Fund is Tuesday evening. We can guarantee that the food will be tasty, the company will be entertaining, and the bidding will be lively. Don’t forget to start clearing your attics, offices, and basements or take a quick trip to the local tourist venue and collect your shellfish toys and trinkets for the Student- Endowment-Fund Auction. Bring them with you or send them ahead to Sandy Shumway (Department of Marine Sciences, UCONN, 1080 Shennecossett Road
Groton, CT 06340, USA) - we want this to be the biggest and best Auction ever! See you Tuesday, April 8th in Providence (and don’t forget your checkbooks!)
Kevin Eckelbarger received B.Sc. and M.S. degrees from California State University, Long Beach and a Ph.D. from Northeastern. His research career spans over 40 years and he is internationally known for his work on factors controlling reproductive cycles in marine invertebrates, especially those in bathyal and deep-water habitats. Kevin began his career at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and served as Director before moving to the University of Maine where he has been Director of the Ira C. Darling Center since 1991. He has authored over 80 publications. 
Roger Mann, past NSA President (1988-1989), received his B.S. from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK and his Ph.D. from the University College of North Wales. After a decade at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, he joined the faculty at the College of William and Mary and the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences where he is currently Director for Research and Advisory Services. He has published over 100 papers covering numerous aspects of shellfish biology, and has dedicated much of his time to academic advising and teaching, having graduated or served on advisory committees for over 50 students. 
Michael Greenberg received an A.B. in Zoology from Cornell, an M.A. in physiology from Florida State University and a Ph.D. from Harvard. He began his illustrious career at the University of Illinois, and then spent 16 years at Florida State University. He served as the Scientific Director of the Whitney Laboratory and as a visiting professor at Hiroshima University Medical School. He is the founder and President of the Tallahassee, Sopchoppy and Gulf Coast Marine Biological Association and served as Editor and Chief of the Biological Bulletin from 1989-2004. He is an internationally renowned molluscan physiologist and has authored well over 100 publications. 
Richard Lutz received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. from the University of Maine. He has been an active member of NSA since his days as a student of Herb Hidu, and he received the Thurlow Nelson Award. In addition to serving as President, he has served on several committees for NSA. Rich has published over 175 papers, book chapters and reviews. He is a global leader in hydrothermal vent research and has been instrumental in moving this field of research forward as a member of numerous national and international advisory committees and is currently Director of the Center for Deep Sea Ecology and Biotechnology at Rutgers. Rich’s research has focused bivalve shell morphology, and the ecology of deep sea vents. In addition to his opening lecture, Rich will also provide an introduction to his IMAX film, Volcanoes of the Deep, on Thursday evening prior to the screening.