Efforts of Taylor Shellfish company to alleviate the problems ofburrowing shrimp on aquaculture ground in Willapa Bay, Washington

摘要

Oyster growers in Willapa Bay must find alternatives to controlling burrowing shrimp pests by spraying the insecticide Carbaryl. As part of this effort, Taylor Shellfish is testing several ideas. The approach is to find an alternate method to eradicate shrimp and/or work around the shrimp. A water jet sled was built as an alternate method to eradicate shrimp from the oyster beds. An array of water nozzles is mounted on a sled that is towed over the ground by an oyster boat. A high volume of water at up to 150 PSI is directed into the substrate to kill shrimp or expose them to predators. The design is still in progress, but preliminary results of testing are encouraging. We are testing an alternative growing method for the ability to disrupt newly settled shrimp. By using large seed on cultch or single oyster seed, the ground can be dredged more frequently. We will test for the effect of frequent dredging to inhibit shrimp recruitment. Growing single oysters is another option. Single oyster production increases the dollar yield per acre. Less acreage is required, and more money per acre can be spent on shrimp reduction. We are testing kumamoto, Crassostrea sikamea, and eastern oysters, C. virginica, in addition to Pacific oysters, C. gigas, for their higher dollar value. We are considering off-bottom culture for these valuable species.