Oyster broodstock is maintained in marine facilities, where their fertilised eggs are developed to larvae in large tanks filled with filtered (and often UV-treated) seawater, and fed cultured algae. Much of the global supply of Pacific oyster seed is obtained from wild seed capture 12.Įuropean oyster production however is commonly derived from hatchery-reared seed. When they have grown to a few millimetres, they are removed from the collectors and are ready for on-growing. oyster shells) to act as a surface for the oyster larvae to settle on. Wild oyster spat (seed) can be collected where it is abundant and reliable. Pacific Oyster Production Schematic (adapted from 12) Oyster aquaculture includes a wide range of grow-out techniques in inter-tidal or sub-tidal waters: suspension of oysters in the water column via rafts, floats, racks or trestles, or bottom culture where oysters are grown directly on the seabed 12, 13. Although perceived as a nuisance in some environments, it is also considered a valuable resource by others. Australia, UK, Netherlands and New Zealand) 4, 11. There are several incidences globally where introductions of new species of oyster for aquaculture are out competing native oyster species (e.g. carried in ballast water or attached to ship hulls) have seen the development of small fisheries with the naturalisation of the species 10. Introductions of the Pacific oysters, either intentionally or not (e.g. The Pacific oyster has been introduced either to replace stocks of indigenous oysters severely depleted by over-fishing or disease, or to create an industry where none existed before 7, 8, 9. The species has been introduced elsewhere, most significantly to the western seaboard of the US in the 1920s, France in 1966, and to the UK at various times in 1960’s and 70’s 4, 6. The Japanese have been cultivating Pacific oyster for centuries. To get the latest seafood market performance and trends delivered to your inbox, register at the Market Insight Portal.
To discover more about the highly dynamic and ever-changing UK and Great British (GB) seafood marketplace, you can explore our user friendly and interactive Trade and Tariff in Tableau (T4) online tool. Our domestic seafood market is complex mix of products from wild caught and farmed species, including oysters. Value-added and convenience products, including canned oysters and frozen or vacuum packed oysters prepared with various sauces, do appear and have potential for global distribution however, they represent only a small proportion of total production 5. The relatively short shelf life of oysters is an impediment to large-scale global trade as consumer preference is often for live, half shell oysters or freshly shucked meats. This is due to the very nature of bivalves, which are highly perishable and potentially risky for human health if not properly handled. Less than 5% of total world bivalve production enters international markets one of the lowest proportions in seafood trade. In the EU, France, Spain and Italy are the main importers of oysters, while France is also among the top exporting countries 5. The majority of oyster exports originate from Korea, France and China. Global Oyster Production: Key Locations and Volumes 2018 (1)Īnnually only around 50,000 tonnes of oysters are internationally traded. China accounts for around 85% of globally farmed oysters and consumes almost all of its own production 1, 5. Aquaculture production of oysters has increased substantially since 1990 from 1.2 million tonnes to 6 million tonnes in 2018 with a value of US$7.46 billion. Some species can be slower growing and less robust than the cupped oyster species, however they are often more highly prized gastronomically 4.
Flat oysters have a much lower global production.Cupped oysters form the bulk of global oyster production and Pacific oyster is the main farmed species 1. the Sydney rock oyster and the New Zealand rock oyster are Saccostrea glomerata 2 the Japanese/ Portuguese/Pacific oyster are Crassostrea gigas 3.
Cupped oyster species are genetically quite similar to each other and many geographically named oysters are the same species, e.g.There are two distinct types of oyster used in aquaculture the ‘cupped’ oysters ( Crassostrea/Saccostrea species ) and the ‘flat’ oysters ( Ostreacea):
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