Post on 19-Feb-2019
ASSG SHELLFISH CONFERENCE 2014
A Scottish Oyster Farmer
in Namibia
James West
Whale Bay Oysters
October 2014
History
Oyster farming started in the 1980’s when the salt producers in Swakopmund introduced oysters to the first salt pan from the sea In 1996 new farms started in Walvis Bay and in Luderitz Walvis Bay used longlines and raft culture. Luderitz used intertidal racks and bags similar to above
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Longlines and rafts
1.Longlines are usually 35 barrels long with 5 racks of oysters between each pair
2.One platform can hold around 250 racks
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Oyster growing locations AS
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Cape Frio
Cape Cross
Walvis Bay
Swakopmund
Lüderitz
Orangemund
Terrace Bay
PRESENT HUBS OF COMMERCIAL MARICULTURE DEVELOPMENT
Farm Distribution Walvis Bay
Grey coloured allocations in Walvis Bay are now unoccupied
Plots are on average 45 hectares each in Walvis Bay and 10 hectares each in Luderitz
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5
22
Namibian Scallop Farming cc
Pelican Point
15
20
20
Southern Limit of Namport Water Area
SpoilGround
Wes
tern
Lim
it of
Nam
port
Wat
er A
rea
AWK Marais
1 : 20000
30 August 2006
WATER AREAS ALLOCATED FORAQUACULTURE
Namibian Ports Authority
AWK Marais
HPM1/29
Port Engineer
Date
PORT OF WALVIS BAY
Drawn
Checked
Scale
File
Date
WBH 602
A 6602
WALVIS BAY AQUA PARK
Tenant
1
Area (ha)No.
2
5
6
7
9
10
11
13
14
15
17
18
ALLOCATION30
308a
8b
12
16
3
4
19
20
21
Beira Aquaculture (Pty) Ltd
Namibia Oysters cc
Seafresh Investments
70,345
Namibia Aquaculture (Pty) Ltd
Erongo Oysters
50,000
20,000
29,203
19,011
19,169
Sht 1 of 2 Shts
Pelican Point Shellfish
Uri Adventures
Tetelestai Mariculture cc
Global Polymer Industries (Pty) Ltd
Joe's Oysters
Walvis Bay Mariculture Products (Pty) Ltd 34,682
3,650
353,500
35,143
Vacant
Namib Aquaculture
Seafresh Investments
21,000
21,000
20,000
28,000
37,500
Associate
52,035
56,250
15,190
Praktika Afrika
NOTES
27,727
50,000
45,502
35,791
Walvis Bay Mariculture Products (Pty) Ltd
25,946
B
A
D C
Please note that all the farms' co-ordinates arenumbered in a clockwise direction, startingat the top lefthand corner as shown indiagram above.
Coloured Areas have been Allocated
Grey Areas have been Applied for
Blank Areas are vacant
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
A
EDC
B
1
2
7
8a
14
15
1012
1920
2122
11
16
18
17
13
3
4
8b
9
5
6
Plots are on average 45 hectares each in Walvis Bay and 10 hectares each in Luderitz
Farm Distribution Luderitz AS
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•intense continual upwelling at Luderitz •phytoplankton bloom continually at a rate several times higher than in other coastal areas •the plant cells die and decay, using oxygen en route •anaerobic microbial processes produce H2S in the sediment •build-up of gases is periodically released •H2S fills the water column and pervades the atmosphere •H2S oxidises to microgranules of sulphur at the water surface, discolouring it milky green
Processes during an eruption
Oxygen Profile AS
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Sulphideoxygen
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 20 40 60 80 100
MicromolarDepth m
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What Hydrogen Sulphide does
15
Hydrogen sulphide
toxic, comparable with cyanide
inerferes with mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase enzymes
thereby blocking cellular respiration
sulphide competitively binds to haemoglobin
A secondary impact
combines with the available dissolved oxygen to
create critically oxygen-limiting conditions during
the episodic coastal events.
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2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Species No. Value N$ No. Value N$ No. Value N$ No. Value N$ No. Value N$
C. gigas 4,835993 19,343,972 6,057,021 24,228,084 4,990,042 14,506,623 7,500,000 21,000,000 9,000,000 30,000,000
O. edilus
Oyster Poroduction
Figures for last two years are estimates from farmers
No figures are available for edilus but quantities are very small
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Disruption of production by blooms and eruptions.
Restriction of availability of capital
No grant aid
BEE requirements
Remoteness from market.
Cheap labour? Skills shortage and productivity
Obstacles for Oyster Farming in Namibia
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Partnership / co-operation to ensure
continuity of supply
Room for expansion
Excess of demand over supply
New markets coming available
Live vs Frozen, advantages and
disadvantages
Expansion – Additional vessels, staff and
infrastructure – a leap of faith.
Opportunities