The Northern Neck Oyster Hatchery Project
SUMMARY
The reintroduction of Virginia-grown oysters would tremendously benefit the state's existing processing infrastructure, transferring millions of dollars in economic activity from out-of-state suppliers back to Virginia. Lack of oyster larvae and seed is a major limiting factor in the local industry.
The Northern Neck Planning District Commission, its member counties, and representatives of the oyster industry seek to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed Oyster Hatchery in the Northern Neck. Funding for the study (Phase I of the project) will come from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, and from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
ACTIVITY
2008-10-27
Consultants Frank Harmon and Matt Griffin (with the Frank Harmon Architecs firm) and Jim Donaldson (with Olympus Aquaculture Consulting, Inc.) presented the results of the feasibility study at the quarterly meeting of the Northern Neck Planning District Commission.The presentation included the following points:
1) Demand and Supply of oyster larvae since 2005 and estimate for 2009, with a trend showing demand outstripping supply. Report by Jim Donaldson.
2) Site selection: Two out of five sites were selected by the Management Team for water-sample collection and testing by VIMS. Considerations: Soil type, proximity to water, orientation, existing buildings, water quality, etc. A bioassay (to determine the effect the water would have on the production of oyster larvae) was performed by Alan Barton and A.J. Erskine.
Reports: VIMS Results, Bioassay by Barton & Erskine, and Analysis of VIMS numbers by Jim Donaldson.
Two water-collection stations were set up per site. Tests included cell-growth rate, development, deformities, survival rate, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.
3) Building Design: Environmental features were incorporated. Construction cost comes to $284.05/square foot (the bulk of it related to hatchery systems, not the building itself). Total square footage: 16,638.3.
Estimated operating cost of $814,441/year (the bulk of it being labor, at 60%) to produce five billion larvae per year, plus 30 million seed. The current market value of 1 million larvae is $200, and for 1 million seed: $4,500
There is enough demand for larvae in Virginia to support five hatcheries of this size.
4) Economic Impact: Preliminary economic impact report prepared by Jonathan Grabowski. A full report will be released when completed.
2008-08-06 and 07
Consultants Frank Harmon, David Cole, and Jim Donaldson met with Management Team members to visit the two sites being considered for an Oyster Hatchery in the Northern Neck: the grounds of Cowarts Seafood Corporation and Bevans Oyster Company. The purpose of the visit is to "gather data to determine the suitability of both sites. Some of the factors the consultants are considering are the infrastructure currently available on the sites (buildings, piers), the seawater supply, wind patterns, electrical service coming in (3-phased preferred), etc." Photographs of both visits here.2008-07-08
Meeting at 2 p.m. at the Planning District Commission with a representatives from the Department of Housing and Community Development, VIMS, Northumberland and Richmond Counties, NAPS, the consultants selected for the project (Frank Harmon Architect PA), and the oyster industry to discuss the steps to receive grant funding for the study and the site-selection process.2008-02-11
Newspaper ad for 2/11/2008 and 2/16/2008, announcing RFP for Feasibility Study.Feasibility Study RFP (PDF, 248KB)
2008-02-08
Summary report (PDF, 132KB) of four public meetings held on January 29 and 31, 2008.2008-02-06
A Management Team (PDF, 56KB) is in place to oversee the Feasibility Study phase of this project.2008-01-31
Public meetings held in Richmond County (4 p.m., Old District Courtroom, 101 Court Circle, Warsaw) and Westmoreland County (7 p.m., General District Court, 111 Polk Street, Montross) to discuss the Hatchery project.2008-01-29
Public meetings held in Lancaster County (4 p.m., Public Library, 235 School Street, Kilmarnock) and Northumberland County (7 p.m., Courts Building, 39 Judicial Place, Heathsville) to discuss the Hatchery project.2008-01-21
Newspaper ad for the week of 1/21/2008, announcing upcoming public meetings.2007-12-15
Article regarding the Oyster Hatchery project:
THE OYSTER'S RETURN
The oyster population of the Chesapeake Bay was once able to filter the water of the entire bay in about a week. That was before these tasty mollusks began to drastically decline thanks to sustained over harvesting and the ravages of diseases like Dermo and MSX. Today, according to Better Backyard , a book published by the Environmental Protection Agency, it takes the diminished population of bay oysters a whole year to filter the same volume of water.
Unfortunately, centuries of dredging have also reduced the natural habitat for oysters around the bay, resulting in conditions that make it impossible for oyster populations to come back to their old levels on their own.
In the early part of the twentieth century, Virginia oyster processors harvested millions of bushels of oysters each year (compared to only thousands today), and most of those processors operated from the shores of the Northern Neck. Today, about 90% of oysters processed in Virginia originate outside the Chesapeake Bay region.
The reintroduction of Virginia-grown oysters would tremendously benefit the existing processing infrastructure, transferring millions of dollars in economic activity from out-of-state suppliers back to Virginia. But there's a hitch: processors rely on oyster larvae produced by hatcheries, which Virginia sorely lacks at the commercial scale needed to revive the industry.
As a result, two of the largest oyster processors on the East Coast (Cowart Seafood Corporation in Lottsburg, and Bevans Oyster Company in Kinsale) have made significant investments, and in the next five years, they expect a production of 50-100 million oysters.
These are the facts behind the Northern Neck's current number-one economic development initiative: plans to establish an oyster-hatchery program that will greatly benefit the industry--by ending its dependence on out-of-state oyster larvae.
To learn about the technology behind this initiative, on April 16, 2007, attendees of the joint quarterly meeting of the Northern Neck Planning District Commission and the Northern Neck-Chesapeake Bay Region Partnership toured the facilities at Cowart Seafood Corporation, near Lottsburg.
The central element of an oyster hatchery is the nursery, whose role is not only the production of seed larvae but also the conditioning of the oysters to become constant feeders, resulting in faster growth.
Normally, oysters only feed when the tide is running (coming in or going out). That's why the design of modern, manmade nurseries incorporates what's called a "floating upweller system" (a.k.a. FLUPSY), which creates an artificial tide--by means of a paddlewheel--that moves nutrient-rich water through the system at a constant rate, year-round.
After six months of constant feeding in the FLUPSY, the juvenile oysters are ready for faster growth at their next step of development (i.e. suspended in mid-water cages), making it possible to have market-ready oysters at a much faster rate than with conventional growth methods. During the tour, A. J. Erskine, the aquaculture manager for Cowart Seafood Corporation and for Bevans Oyster Company, stated that oysters like to be near other oysters of similar size, so the bivalves are regularly separated with a mechanical sorter that helps them reach that goal. It is just one of the many features of oyster aquaculture aimed at making it easy for this Chesapeake Bay mollusk to really come back.
The overseer of the Northern Neck Oyster Hatchery initiative is the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) at the College of William and Mary. A. J. Erskine and Thomas J. Murray, a Marine Business Specialist at VIMS, submitted a feasibility study proposal (PDF, 560KB) to the Northern Neck Planning District Commission in March of 2007. The proposal states that "the construction of a commercial-scale oyster hatchery in the Northern Neck would require extensive planning by qualified architects, engineers, and have [a] proper site evaluation conducted," and they estimated a cost of between $120 and $125 thousand dollars for this planning stage of the project.
The Northern Neck Planning District Commission has applied with the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for a $60,000 grant to cover part of these planning costs. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Northern Neck-Chesapeake Bay Region Partnership, will provide matching funds. Once in full operation, the oyster-hatchery initiative is estimated to create between 200 and 250 long-term jobs in the Northern Neck region.
Text by A. R. Eguiguren. Photographs by Stuart McKenzie
