BC’s Shellfish Aquaculture – Kissed by the Ocean

British Columbia is Canada’s Oyster Capital and a spectacular region for shellfish aquaculture. The pristine, nutrient-rich, cool waters of British Columbia combined with sustainable farming practices employed by BC shellfish farmers, enable them to produce fresh and nutritious shellfish year round. From succulent raw oysters, clams and mussels to our jumbo scallops, BC Shellfish can be found on restaurant menus across Canada and in many international markets.

A Kiss of Approval

As more and more consumers seek nutritious, sustainably harvested food, BC’s shellfish aquaculture industry has responded with the Pacific Kiss industry stamp of approval. The ‘kiss indicates that the shellfish has been sustainably harvested by a registered member of The BC Shellfish Growers Association; an initiative supported by Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.

• Like wine, oysters owe much of their flavor to terroir, the specific environment in which they grow. Just as the geography, soil and climate of a vineyard gives a distinct flavour to the resulting wine, oysters are influenced by their surroundings and develop to be salty or sweet, with notes of cucumber, melon, herbs, flint or copper.
• Shellfish are an excellent source of protein and are high in essential minerals and low in calories, fat and cholesterol
• In 2008, 7,200 tonnes of shellfish was harvested by B.C. farmers, with a farmgate value of $15.7 million. Pacific oysters made up 74 per cent of the harvest at 5,300 tonnes, followed by clams (geoduck, Manila and littlenecks) with 1,300 tonnes and the final eight per cent, 600 tonnes derived from scallop and mussels harvests.
• Clams generated $7.0 million in sales and made up 45 per cent of the landed value of cultured shellfish; oyster sales were reported at $6.2 million (39 per cent) and scallops and mussels contribute $2.5 million for a 16 per cent share.
• Shellfish Aquaculture has created more than 1,000 full-time jobs, contributing to the economic development of rural coastal and First Nations communities as well as the health of our oceans.
• Shellfish consumption has long played an important role in First Nations culture and evidence of this is scattered throughout coastal British Columbia; examples include numerous shell middens and white-sand beaches which are a direct result of thousands of years of shellfish consumption.
• In 2009, ground was broken on a new Deep Bay Field Station for Shellfish Research. The Field Station will become a centre of excellence for scientific, environmental, economic and public engagement in support of shellfish aquaculture, training and sustainability in B.C.
• Advances in technology are currently enabling shellfish farmers to raise Japanese scallops and Gallo mussels, and are contributing to the development of farming practices for raising geoduck clams. BC’s coastal region produces more over $37 million dollars of world class oysters, clams, mussels and scallops that are exported to international markets all year round.
• Many operations in the shellfish industry offer interpretive tours for tourists to learn about the diverse range of species cultured in BC, and the important role that shellfish aquaculture plays in B.C.’s coastal communities.
• Shellfish, like other carbon fixers such as corals, also help reduce the production of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, by incorporating carbon into their shells. Learn more >
• Shellfish remove nitrogen from the water as they feed. Undigested nitrogen and phosphate are processed and excreted in a form that is readily used by plant growth.
• The recycling effect of filter feeding shellfish, which returns valuable sediments to the sea bed, has been shown to increase the productivity of sea grass beds – an important habitat for juvenile fish.

Key Contacts

Sandra Hamilton
Media Relations Manager
Media Inquiries: (250) 702-6206
Email: sandra@PacificKiss.ca

Roberta Stevenson
Executive Director
Phone: (250) 890-7561
Email: roberta@bcsga.ca