The project received funding from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD). The findings were published in the article “ Producing young, single and meaty oyster Crassostrea iredalei (Faustino, 1932) in grow-out culture using pouches suspended from rafts,” which was published in the journal Aquaculture Research on 11 June 2021. In traditional methods, oysters could take as much as 12 to 18 months to reach that size, Dr.
Growth was also faster for the pouch-grown oysters which took only nine months, including time for spat collection, to reach the 85-gram premium size. “More importantly, the oysters in pouches and trays grew individually and achieved almost uniform sizes, which is what the premium market requires.” “Growing them individually in a space without overcrowding may have caused these oysters to grow larger and meatier compared with those reared using traditional methods,” Dr. Stacks of newly-harvested oysters, still in pouches where they were grown for six months as part of a study by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center to grow single oysters that command up to five times the price of clustered oysters. The body weight followed the same trend, with pouch-grown (87.7 grams average) and tray-grown oysters (87.1 grams) proving to be heavier than those grown clustered on old shells (67.4 grams) and tires (55.1 grams). Those produced traditionally on old shells and tires were an average of 7.6 and 7.2 centimeters shell length. Photo courtesy of MJH Lebata-RamosĪfter six months, the oysters grown in pouches and trays grew the most, to an average of 8.9 and 8.3 centimeters shell length, respectively. Junemie Hazel Lebata-Ramos showing the pouch used to grow oysters for her study at Batan Bay in Aklan that aimed to grow single oysters that command up to five times the price of clustered oysters. The spat were collected from submerged tires and old oyster shells where, in the traditional method, they would otherwise have been left to grow to harvestable size. Meanwhile, the plastic trays are stacked on top of each other, with each tray also containing 25 oysters. Lebata-Ramos, however, found that by giving oysters ( Crassostrea iredalei) their own private space to grow, in pouches or trays, they can grow unclustered, yield up to 59 percent more meat, and in 50 percent less time.Īs detailed in her recently-published study, her team placed wild-collected baby oyster “spat” and individually stocked them in prototype net pouches and plastic trays suspended from floating bamboo rafts at their study site in Batan Bay in Aklan.Įach hanging pouch contained 25 compartment pockets that each contained one oyster. Wild oyster larvae naturally stick to these surfaces and form clusters of marketable, but often smaller, oysters in nine to 12 months.ĭr. Junemie Hazel Lebata-Ramos, a scientist at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) based in Iloilo, Philippines. “Oysters are traditionally grown on bamboo stakes, worn tires, or old shells installed at river mouths,” said Dr. To help oyster producers capture the premium market, a mollusk scientist devised a simple method of growing oysters that are not only single, but also young and meaty.
Junemie Hazel Lebata-Ramos of SEAFDEC/AQD to grow single oysters that command up to five times the price of clustered oysters. Newly-harvested young, single, and meaty gourmet-type oysters after six months of growing in innovative net pouches designed by Scientist Dr. However, diligent traders may opt to carefully separate, sort, and clean larger shells to enter the lucrative market of premium unclustered oysters served in hotels and high-end restaurants, where a dozen pieces can fetch around P500 (US$10). In the Philippines, oysters sell for as little as P60–70 (US$1.20–US$1.40) per serving, roughly 10-15 shells, in small seafood restaurants. The shells – sizeable, petite and everything in between – reveal random morsels of meat that go well with fish sauce and spiced vinegar. Seafood lovers are acquainted with prying their way through clumps of steamed oyster shells. While oysters are naturally clingy, a scientist has found that they grow best with no attachments and when given healthy boundaries.
0 kommentar(er)
