Malaspina and DFO Team up to Develop New Shellfish Aquaculture Species

From left to right: Dr. Wenshan Liu Edith Billington, Dr. Helen Gurney-Smith, Dr. Chris Pearce (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), Amanda Beerens, Simon Yuan.

Research scientists from the Malaspina University-College Centre for Shellfish Research (CSR) and the Marine Ecosystems and Aquaculture Division of DFO have teamed up with industry and First Nations to undertake the development of the native cockle, Clinocardium nuttalii.

“Native cockles are found from California to Alaska and grow on the lower intertidal area of sand and mud beaches around the 1-3 foot tide level” says Don Tillapaugh, Director of the CSR.  “They are bivalve molluscs (like clams) and have very attractive shells with pronounced ridges.  A First Nations Elder once told me that aboriginal people have prized cockles for centuries as a preferred food from ‘Mother Nature’s refrigerator’.  I really don’t have a good explanation of why cockles have not been grown as an aquaculture species in the past in BC, but there is genuine commercial and First Nations interest now as demand increases for sustainable seafood products” says Tillapaugh.

Tillapaugh goes on to explain that “developing a new aquaculture species is a multi-faceted process.  We have assembled a research advisory committee consisting of shellfish farmers and shellfish scientists and we are undertaking the development of this new species in a systematic and collaborative way – making the best use of everyone’s expertise and funding”. read more