TABLE OF CONTENTS: *All information will (eventually) reside electronically at www.vims.edu/map/aquaculture

Tools

Cultchless Oyster Budget Manual

Regulations & Permitting

Shellfish Culture Regulatory Agency Contacts & Links

Shellfish Aquaculture Permits and Licenses

Shellfish Harvester Regulations Fact Sheet

FAQs: Interstate Transport of Shellfish (import/export)

Shellfish Health

FAQs: Shellfish Health & Biosecurity

Miscellaneous

FAQs: Buying Oyster Seed

FAQs: Counting Seed Oysters by Volume

VIMS Shellfish Aquaculture Resources

In progress

FAQs: Where to buy oyster and clam seed

Shellfish Aquaculture: Required Training & Certification

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)

Shellfish Leases, Gear Restrictions, Harvest Reporting, Boater Safety

Regulations, Bag Limits, Vessel Sanitation

Shellfish Aquaculture webpage: http://www.mrc.state.va.us/Shellfish_Aquaculture.shtm

Desktop Map of Condemnation Zones –searchable GIS map of leased areas, public ground (and more)

with an overlay of shellfish condemnation zones (areas that are not approved for shellfish harvest).

https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/maps/chesapeakebay_map.php

VMRC Contacts:

Dr. Jim Wesson, Repletion Department, 757-247-2121 or Jim.Wesson@mrc.virginia.gov

Ben Stagg, Engineering/Surveying Department, 757-247-2225 or ben.stagg@mrc.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Health/ Division of Shellfish Sanitation (VDH/DSS)

Growing Area Classification & Monitoring, Shellfish

Handling (Vibrio Control Plan), Processing Plant Sanitation,

Vessel Certification

Webpage: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/EnvironmentalHealth/Shellfish/

Growing area classification:

http://www.vdh.state.va.us/EnvironmentalHealth/Shellfish/classification/index.htm

Condemnation maps: https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/maps/condemnation.html

Contacts: Central Office (CO): 804-864-7480

Director: B. Keith Skiles, MPH (Keith.Skiles@vdh.virginia.gov)

Plant Program Manager: E. Danielle Schools (Danielle.Schools@vdh.virginia.gov)

Growing Area Manager: Eric T. Aschenbach (eric.aschenbach@vdh.virginia.gov)

Shellfish Field Offices

Accomac Field Office (ACFO): 757-787-5864 x221

Field Director: Paul H. Widgen (Paul.Widgen@vdh.virginia.gov)

Norfolk Field Office (NFO): 757-683-8461

Field Director: Jonathan D. Dickerson (Jon.Dickerson@vdh.virginia.gov)

White Stone Field Office (WSFO): 804-435-1095

Field Director: David B. Geeson (David.Geeson@vdh.virginia.gov)

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) Standard Permit

and License List: intended as a guide only

Aquaculture Product Owners License ($10) Renewable each year

*Comes with mandatory reporting requirements –wait to apply until product is in the water. Product

owner license in needed to obtain an aquaculture husbandry permit.

Aquaculture Harvester Permit ($5) Renewable each year

For hired labor other than the product owner.

Obtain from a local agent (to find agent locations – http://mrc.virginia.gov/mrcagents.shtm

Specific to warm water harvest regulations from May 1 – September 30: Renewable each year

Warm Water Harvest Regulations: http://mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/FR1230.shtm

Online Permit Applications:https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/fisheries/shellfishpermits.php

Aquaculture husbandry permit

* Required from May 1 – Sept 30 for cage culturists who want to handle oysters for husbandry

purposes after the designated harvesting times specified in the warm water harvest regulations

Warmwater shellfish GPS permit

* Required from May 1 – Sept 30 for the harvest of oysters outside of the designated harvesting

times specified in the warm water harvest regulations (for those who work on the tidal cycle).

Shellfish Icing Permit

*First apply for an icing permit with your local Va Dept. of Health, Shellfish Sanitation field office

* Required from May 1 – Sept 30 for the harvest of oysters using ice outside of the

designated harvesting times specified in the warm water harvest regulations

For those that deviate from approved on bottom activity:

General Permit #4 http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/fr1130.shtm

* If placing gear greater than 12 inches off substrate on leased bottom and/or individually marking

gear (of any height) on leased bottom.

Joint Permit Application (with a detailed plan to VMRC Habitat Management Division)

*For floating gear - This applies to oyster floats, floating bags and floating upweller systems

& for any bottom activity not on leased ground

*Permit costs varies depending on the situation & process can take several months - give plenty of

lead time

http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/forms/index.shtm *select Habitat Management

Shellfish Harvester Regulations Fact Sheet

Harvesting

The Virginia Department of

Health Division of Shellfish

Sanitation (VDH/DSS) classifies and monitors shellfish

harvest areas based on levels of

pollution.

Approved areas are growing areas where harvest for direct marketing is allowed.

Condemned areas are areas where harvesting is allowed with certain restrictions.

To know whether harvesting areas are approved or condemned go to http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/EnvironmentalHealth/Shellfish/index.htm

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) has a mobile map which will allow you to check the shellfish closure status to a specific lease by going to https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/maps/condemnation.html

Tags Harvested shellfish must be tagged

with required information. The 4 W’s on Shellstock Tags provides us with WHO harvested the product, WHEN it was harvested, WHERE it was harvested, and WHAT type of shellfish was harvested.

The information on this tag follows

the shellfish from harvest to the

final consumer.

Follow harvest and

seasonal time tables for the

harvest of oysters and clams. No

harvest is allowed before sunrise

from June 15 through August 31.

Handling

Harvesting Boat The boat must be registered with

the state;

Be properly constructed;

Have an available sanitation

device;

Shading provided to protect the

shellfish; and

Have USCG approved equipment.

Discharge of human waste overboard is not allowed since it

can lead to contamination of the

shellfish in the harvest area

resulting in closures.

Proper culling techniques should be used to assure shellfish

are available to future harvesters.

Daily harvest time Restrictions on oysters (VMRC)

Oysters must be harvested,

offloaded and landed by the

curfew times listed below in

order to limit Vibrio bacteria

growth.

Harvest times can be extended

from May through September as

long as the harvester is using an

approved method of harvest such

as the use of ice or a GPS tracking

device and a permit has been

granted.

sunrise to sunset

11 am 10 am

12 noon

Transportation

Delivering shellfish directly to certified dealers facility using mechanical refrigeration (at 45°F or less) or ice when transport times exceed 1 hour and providing shade ensures a protected product.

No shellfish should be

exposed to gasoline, garbage,

animals, etc.

For Harvester Activities

related to: Water classification/monitoring Plant processing inspection Vessel certification

Call your VDH, Division of Shellfish Sanitation Office

For harvesters activities related to:

Boater safety regulations Bag/ size limits Seasonal time limits Vessel Sanitation Device Training

Call Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)

(757) 247-2200

VDH/DSS

Central Office 804 864 7480

Field Offices:

Accomac 757 787 5864 x221

Norfolk 757 683 8461

White Stone 804 435 1095

Hatchery products (larvae

& small seed) are the best

choice – they’re the most

biosecure & economical

Contacts:

Ryan Carnegie, VIMS

carnegie@vims.edu

804-684-7713

Karen Hudson, VIMS

khudson@vims.edu

804-684-7742

Jim Wesson, VMRC

jim.wesson@mrc.virginia.gov

757-247-2121

Protect the unwanted spread of shellfish disease by following the rules!

Buying shellfish seed from out of state (importing)

Importing shellfish to Virginia waters from outside the state is regulated by the Virginia Marine Resources

Commission (VMRC). These regulations are in place to protect the industry from the spread of shellfish

diseases. You are responsible for obtaining (1) an importation permit from VMRC which, in most cases,

requires (2) a pathology evaluation by an approved laboratory indicating that the shellfish does not pose

an unacceptable disease risk.

Link to the VMRC import regulation:

http://mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/fr754.shtm

Selling shellfish seed out of state (exporting)

When exporting seed out of Virginia, it’s still good to know the rules. While the responsibility is on the

receiver’s end, do your part to make sure the import regulations of the receiving state are followed.

Pathology evaluations – resources & considerations

A pathology evaluation is a thorough health examination of a sample from a shellfish population. Where

to get the certification is the easy part –services are offered at the VIMS Shellfish Pathology Laboratory

under the direction of Dr. Ryan Carnegie.

The harder part is the clean bill of health that is required. Shellfish out in the natural environment are

going to accumulate what’s out there – and in Virginia’s case, that’s mainly dermo disease. The advice –

stick to products coming directly out of the hatchery. These have the

best chance of being “clean” because they’ve spent the least amount of

time in unfiltered water.

Considerations:

Pathology certifications are not free – it is a cost share to cover

supplies

Check with the laboratory in advance to confirm cost &

schedule

Check whether or not your transfer makes good biological sense

before moving ahead

The larger the shellfish, the more expensive– larvae and small

seed are most economical to screen

Sample size for testing is 60 animals, but for small seed, samples of 200 are requested

Proper farm

management is the key

to keeping your shellfish

healthy and preventing

the introduction of

disease

Contacts:

Karen Hudson, VIMS

khudson@vims.edu

804-684-7742

Ryan Carnegie, VIMS

carnegie@vims.edu

804-684-7713

The importance of shellfish health

Good health is essential to the growth and survival of shellfish stocks, and good condition at market.

Virginia waters are inhabited by a number of shellfish pathogens. Ensuring good health means managing

these and preventing the introduction of new, exotic diseases.

What do I need to do to be biosecure?

Think of biosecurity as a set of measures designed to reduce the risk of

introduction, establishment and spread of pathogenic agents to,

from, or within a farm. We maximize biosecurity in part through

good farm management, avoiding overcrowding and keeping stress

on animals low. An important additional means is the screening of imported seed to be sure it does not

carry exotic pathogens or levels of established pathogens, like dermo, so high that it will worsen disease

locally.

Shellfish disease threats in Virginia

Dermo disease is the primary local oyster disease threat, with MSX disease also causing a modest level of

mortality in some years. QPX disease causes occasional mortality in clams, and SSO disease in Seaside

oysters. All of these are caused by protozoan parasites that infect only shellfish—not humans.

Shellfish disease threats outside Virginia – key players

ROD (formerly JOD, or juvenile oyster disease, caused by a bacterium) affects small hatchery seed in the

Northeast. The protozoan parasite Bonamia has been found to infect eastern oysters on very rare occasions,

in Massachusetts and North Carolina. Seed imports from outside Virginia must be free of detection of

these diseases. Worldwide, concern is growing about other emerging infections caused by viruses and

possibly environmental bacteria as well. We have not detected these diseases in shellfish populations here,

but they remain the focus of our surveillance attention.

Report unusual mortality

Industry is a key partner in the biosecurity management of Virginia

shellfish aquaculture populations. What can you do? Report any unusual

mortality at any time of year, anything above expected mortality for a

given crop and location, as this could indicate an emerging problem. The

VIMS Shellfish Pathology Laboratory routinely investigates such reports

at no charge to industry.

Make informed choices and

record seed performance

VIMS/ABC recommendations

Low salinity: DEBY and LoLA

High/moderate salinity: DEBY, XB, HANA

Ploidy – diploid or triploid?

Ploidy is the number of sets of chromosomes in a cell. Diploids have 2 sets (1 from Mom, 1 from Dad),

triploids have 3 (the extra set is what makes it special).

Which one should you choose? Triploids are the most widely used on commercial farms in Virginia

because they grow fast and are marketable all year round (they don’t reproduce). Diploids are

reproductive, and therefore aren’t marketable due to poor meat quality and yield in the summer months

when oysters are spawning.

What you choose is really dependent on when you plan to market your oysters. Keep in mind - diploid

strains (see below) have better growth and survival compared to wild oysters. Consider growing multiple

varieties - but keep them separate.

Strain – know what you are buying

Strains (a.k.a. lines, or stocks) are batches of oysters that have

been selectively bred for improved performance - mainly faster

growth and better survival in the face of diseases (MSX and dermo). Ask your seed provider what they

offer. There are a variety of lines available in Virginia, thanks to the breeding work conducted at VIMS’

Aquaculture Genetics & Breeding Technology Center (ABC).

Hatcheries have the option to produce seed using selected stocks from VIMS and/or produce their own

local stocks. VIMS stocks have unique names like “Deby”,

“Lola”, “Hana” or “Crosbreed (XB)”. The hatcheries will

name their crosses too - usually after the local waterbody.

So how do you know what to choose? The selected stocks

generally have good performance overall, but it really depends on the conditions at your particular

location. There’s no clear-cut answer, but there are a few good common sense suggestions: Ask around -

what are other growers in your area using? Inform the seed seller of your location, salinity and ask for

recommendations. Consider trying two strains & comparing their performance (but keep them separate!)

Other Considerations

Orders typically require a deposit and they need to be placed in advance or availability may be limited,

especially if you want a particular strain or size.

Triploids and/or for disease resistant strains are usually more expensive because there is a licensing fee

charged to the hatcheries for use of the improved stocks.

Don’t buy more seed than you have gear to maintain it as it grows

Buy larger seed & perfect the grow out technique first, before adding a nursery component

Sieve size does not equal seed size (rule of thumb: stock in mesh 1 size smaller than the sieve size)

Adjust the volume

depending on size of

the seed to be

accurate & efficient

Counting Guidelines

Seed size count volume

1/4 inch 100 mls

½ inch 500 mls ¾ inch & larger 1 Liter

Number of seed per liter:

average seed count x factor (count volume)

100 mls = 10

200 mls = 5 500 mls = 2

Counting by volume is a good method for a large numbers of oysters. It can be done quickly and without

special equipment but beware – accuracy is compromised if attempting to count seed of mixed sizes.

Definitions

Sieve - method for separating different size classes within a batch of oysters. A sieve is made of

wire screen, different size screen is used for sorting each size class

Size Class - the different sizes of oysters separated by

sieving

Materials Needed

Plastic containers of various sizes (1/2 liter (500 mls), 1 liter)

A large table for working space

A raceway for sieving

Sieves (sizes ¼ “, ½”, ¾”, 1”)

Water supply

Baskets to hold seed

Method

Step 1. Sieve seed if it has a lot of size variation

Step 2. Put a pile of the first size class of seed on a table

Step 3. Scoop seed into the appropriate measuring container (based on guidelines above)

Step 4. Shake gently so seed is level with top

Step 5. Dump “sample” out and count, repeat 3 times, and take average

Step 6. Calculate number of seed per liter (average seed count x factor)

Step 7. Measure the total volume of seed in the size class (i.e. number of liters)

Step 8. Calculate total number of oysters in size class (number of seed per liter x number of liters)

Step 8. Repeat steps 2-8 for each sieve size

Have a question and don’t

know where to start?

Contact Karen Hudson

Shellfish Aquaculture Extension

VIMS, Marine Advisory Services

khudson@vims.edu

804-684-7742

Genetics and Breeding Selective breeding has become a cornerstone for improving

production in many aquaculture species. Aquaculture breeding has

played an especially strong role in Virginia and the surrounding area

by producing selected varieties that have improved survival and

growth relative to wild oysters. The Aquaculture Genetics and

Breeding Center (ABC) houses the VIMS program for genetic

improvement, with other genetic capabilities at VIMS including

population genetics and phylogenetics. The ABC breeding program

maintains a strong link to industry through the distribution of

genetically improved material to hatcheries and an active Industry Advisory Committee to ABC.

Dr. Stan Allen: Director, Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center

Dr. Jessica Moss Small: Assistant Director, Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center

Shellfish Health Managing diseases to maintain good health in cultured organisms is one of the fundamental challenges

faced by aquaculturists. Ensuring a high level of biosecurity with regard to infectious diseases is a primary

objective for health managers and regulators. The research we conduct and the guidance we provide in

our advisory roles informs aquaculture practices and shapes regulatory policies that support the growth

of shellfish aquaculture.

Dr. Ryan Carnegie: Shellfish pathology and aquaculture health management

Dr. Kimberly Reece: Harmful algal blooms

Human Health and Aquaculture Seafood safety is a growing concern with the rapid expansion of shellfish aquaculture. Ensuring that a

healthy and safe product reaches the consumer is paramount. VIMS scientists conduct research to better

understand links between the microbiology and ecology of growing waters and human health. Studies

range from developing better tools to accurately assess public health risks to characterizing the ecology,

environmental tolerance and persistence of human pathogens and toxins in marine systems.

Dr. Kimberly Reece: Human pathogenic Vibrios

Dr. Juliette Smith: Food web transfer, accumulation and effects of algal toxins

Economics Providing applied economic research and extension to meet the needs of industry, related businesses,

local governments and others.

Thomas Murray: Marine business and applied economics

Karen Hudson: Shellfish aquaculture information/advisory assistance