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R&D Priority Setting Workshop Series

To clarify and prioritize research and development needs, the CSR has recently completed a series of R&D priority setting workshops. Results from the series of three workshops will be used to write a strategic R&D plan for the industry.

At each series of workshops, a broad range of stakeholders provided a stimulating balance of perspectives and opinions. Participants included farmers, processors, the research community, environmental organizations and representatives of funding agencies. Many thanks to those who took the time to attend and actively participate in setting priorities for industry research and development.

Please click here for a Draft Summary of the final workshop held November 30th at the Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo. Responses and comments from all stakeholders are encouraged. If you didn’t get a chance to attend the workshop, this is your chance to weigh in on the results.

Highlights from the Workshops

The first workshop, held on April 28th, featured break out groups dealing with five broad industry-wide issues. These issues/topics were:

  1. Animal Science (Health, Husbandry & Genetics)
  2. New Technology/Techniques
  3. Product Development/Marketing
  4. Environmental Interactions
  5. Food Safety/Trade Issues (e.g. CSSP, biotoxins, cadmium)

During May and June, a series of species-specific workshops were held to determine the R&D priorities of the major shellfish species in BC (oysters, clams, mussels, geoduck, scallops & echinoderms). At each workshop, production constraints at the hatchery, nursery and grow-out stages were discussed - and research projects were identified to answer questions and address constraints. Information from these workshops will assist in the development of a strategic plan for each species.

The final workshop of the three-staged process was held on November 30th at the Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo. Prior to this workshop, organizers at the CSR analyzed and cross matched the ‘industry wide’ and ‘species specific’ R&D needs from the first two workshops to determine areas of overlap. The analysis resulted in five major themes, eighteen research goals and over eighty potential research projects. The wide range of themes, goals and activities provided the basis for discussion and priority setting at the November 30th workshop.

Some conclusions were immediately evident at the workshop: the two themes receiving the highest level of stakeholder interest and support were Environmental Interactions and Animal Science.

The workshop agenda also included presentations from two guest speakers: Bill Dewey, Manager of Public Affairs for Taylor Shellfish and Cory Galbraith, President of Galbraith Communications in Ottawa.

Bill Dewey shared his experiences of developing a strategic R&D plan for the Pacific Shellfish Institute (PSI) - a Washington State organization similar to the CSR. According to Bill, one of the main advantages of having an R&D strategic plan is that it provides industry with a document for distribution to various research institutions, granting entities and government agencies. Distribution of the PSI R&D document has resulted in expanded awareness of the Washington State industry’s needs and priorities - which in turn has resulted in increased funding for many shellfish related projects. Bill also gave an update on some recently completed PSI research projects.

Cory Galbraith addressed the group via webcast on the topic of “Virtual Communication that Works”. Cory, who works with a number of different farm organizations in Canada, demonstrated web video conferencing and indicated that it is a new communication system that farmers are beginning to embrace.

A recent study in Iowa of 1,000 beginning farmers found that most would rather receive information verbally rather than in printed form. For farmers in remote areas, the ability to communicate with other people in real time helps remove the sense of isolation. Not only that, but it also allows them to save money otherwise spent on travel and accommodation to attend workshops.

The series of three workshops were successful in bringing industry stakeholders together to discuss current research needs and priorities for shellfish aquaculture in BC.