enhancement activities
• Spat Collection
• Oyster larvae monitoring was conducted during the spawning season. Collectors were dipped in a cement mixture and deployed onto lines in the Bideford Reserve. After set the collectors were dipped in a lime solution to deter starfish and sea squirts.
• In the fall collectors are harvested with some put into trays to be over wintered for spreading the following year and the remainder spread immediately on predetermined public beds.
• Cultivation
• This activity has been conducted in the river system for several years. Private boat owners are contracted as well as assistance from Provincial Fisheries staff to carry out this activity. Shellbed cultivation is a commonly utilized practice to expose oyster shell from the bottom sediments. The clean shell provides an excellent substrate for larval oysters to set on and has been proven to be a successful technique to naturally enhance oyster beds
• Shell Spreading
• Shell spreading projects are carried out in designated areas to establish new beds. Shell is purchased and spread on a predetermined site.
• Bedeque Bay, Cascumpec Bay and North River are areas that have been very successful with this type of project.
relays
• Shallow Water
With the possibility of oysters being frozen into the ice in low tide, relays have been conducted to move these oysters to deeper water, normally adjacent to the same area.
• Deep Water
Deep water relays are done in deep water areas (eg. channels) and moved to shallow beds where the oysters will be easier to fish.
predator control
• Starfish are a main predator of shellfish. Starfish traps have been developed and used in the last several years. They work very well but with large numbers of starfish in the system it is very important to control this predator.
• Codium attaches to oysters and as it matures it becomes buoyant. With a strong wind and tide it will carry the oysters either to shore or other areas.
• Sea squirts have been around for many years and controlled by a lime dip. Recently club tunicate has been observed in Malpeque Bay and in the past week has been found adjacent to our spat collection site in Bideford. As well as sea squirts this type of tunicate can be controlled by a lime dip. Other types of tunicates around the Island are Violet, Golden Star and Vase.