Feasibility of using Seawater recirculation technology for culturing Chilean Scallop, Argopecten purpuratus from larvae to seed

ELISABETH VON BRAND; GERMÁN MERINO; GASPAR SORIA; LORENA ÁVALOS

Halifax, Canadá

Workshop; 16th International Pectinid Workshop; 2007

Aquatic animal production in inland systems based on recirculating water technology has the advantages of avoiding any natural risks (storms, red tides, among others) which could affect the profitability of the invested capital. Particularly for the Chilean scallop industry, the fact of producing 10 mm scallop seeds in inland systems would reduce significantly costs required by long-line technology, such as hidrowashing cleaning centers, repair of culture units (collector bags and pearl-nets), boats, man power, among others, which might allow to save or make capital investments in other areas.  Typical nursery stages for Chilean scallop are carried out in long-lines in the ocean within a time line between three to four months, not including the month for the hatchery stage, to reach a seed size of 5 mm. In comparison, the RAS culture technology presented in this work, was able to produce 5 mm seed in 40 days and 10 mm seed in only 70 days, starting from the time when fertilized eggs were stocked within the rearing unit. Consequently, the RAS can potentially save about 2 months to produce a 10 mm seed compared with traditional long-line technology. The RAS scallop technology presented allowed to acquire a valuable know-how, unique in Latin America, in the matter of Hatchery and Nursery for Scallops ran under a RAS mode. The developed methodology allows the production of an important amount of competent settling larvae (250 µm) as well as 5 to 10 mm seeds. Now there is a need to pursue economic studies to determine the commercial viability of this new culture methodology, which is also an environmental clean technology.