Namibia to make own baby oysters

HIDDEN away between old buildings and fishing equipment on the quay side of the Gendev premises at Walvis Bay is the very first oyster hatchery in southern Africa.

As this delicacy has grown in popularity during recent years, Namibian grown oysters (Crassostera gigas) have been praised internationally for their quality and rich taste. While this local product has become a standard item on the menus of reputable restaurants at the coast, oyster growers still have to import seed or spat from Chile.Manuel Romero, Manager of Beira Aquaculture, is confident he can change this situation.His experiments in recent months of growing spat locally is showing signs of success.”The test is working.We are in the post-larva stage, which means the danger period is over.”Romero is confident he will be able to start supplying spat to growers within five months.At present there are four oyster producers at Walvis Bay, one at Swakopmund and one at Luederitz.”It would mean a huge cost saving to them if they can buy spat locally,” said Romero.In future he plans to focus more on producing spat than growing oysters.At the moment oysters can only be exported to South Africa and not Europe.Romero believes there is potential to go into the European market.”I have tasted oysters from all over the world, and the Namibian quality is very good.”He attributes this to the nutrient-rich waters of the Benguela stream.According to Romero, the European Union has very strict standards on water quality.”Namibia does not have EU approval yet as there is no recognised laboratory in the country that can carry out the necessary EU tests,” says Romero.”It is up to Government to obtain this approval before we can start exporting.”Romero is also carrying out experiments with black and brown mussels (Mytilus gallo provincialis and Perna perna), scallops (Agropecten maximus) and white clams (Venerupis corrugatis) at the hatchery.Last week, Dr Abraham Iyambo, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, accompanied by his Director of Aquaculture, Ekkehard Klingelhoeffer, and the scientist in charge of mariculture, Bronwyn Currie, visited the hatchery.Iyambo, who has taken it upon himself to promote the development of aquaculture in the country, asked a string of questions about the experiments carried out by Romero.According to Currie, aquaculture is the way to go.She says as far as they could establish, foreign species such as oysters would never take over in local waters.”The conditions here are too harsh, such as the temperature, sulphur eruptions and red tide.”That is why a hatchery is necessary to grow spat: it would never be able to survive naturally in the open sea.The baby molluscs are only placed in the sea after six months.Currie feels the controlled method of putting oysters in closed baskets attached to a raft further keeps it from becoming an intruder species.Romero explained that the baskets were kept as high as possible – within the first three metres of water.”The deeper you go, the more problems you start having with oxygen and sulphur.”Beira has five rafts in the sea near Pelican Point where between 1.5 to two million oysters are grown.Oysters are harvested every day and up to 200 000 a month are processed.Beira also has a fishing licence to harvest clams, which are indigenous to Namibia.Clams are also doing very well as an exotic seafood, according to Romero.The clams grow naturally in the ground from where they are removed.While this local product has become a standard item on the menus of reputable restaurants at the coast, oyster growers still have to import seed or spat from Chile.Manuel Romero, Manager of Beira Aquaculture, is confident he can change this situation.His experiments in recent months of growing spat locally is showing signs of success.”The test is working.We are in the post-larva stage, which means the danger period is over.”Romero is confident he will be able to start supplying spat to growers within five months.At present there are four oyster producers at Walvis Bay, one at Swakopmund and one at Luederitz.”It would mean a huge cost saving to them if they can buy spat locally,” said Romero.In future he plans to focus more on producing spat than growing oysters.At the moment oysters can only be exported to South Africa and not Europe.Romero believes there is potential to go into the European market.”I have tasted oysters from all over the world, and the Namibian quality is very good.”He attributes this to the nutrient-rich waters of the Benguela stream.According to Romero, the European Union has very strict standards on water quality.”Namibia does not have EU approval yet as there is no recognised laboratory in the country that can carry out the necessary EU tests,” says Romero.”It is up to Government to obtain this approval before we can start exporting.”Romero is also carrying out experiments with black and brown mussels (Mytilus gallo provincialis and Perna perna), scallops (Agropecten maximus) and white clams (Venerupis corrugatis) at the hatchery.Last week, Dr Abraham Iyambo, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, accompanied by his Director of Aquaculture, Ekkehard Klingelhoeffer, and the scientist in charge of mariculture, Bronwyn Currie, visited the hatchery.Iyambo, who has taken it upon himself to promote the development of aquaculture in the country, asked a string of questions about the experiments carried out by Romero.According to Currie, aquaculture is the way to go.She says as far as they could establish, foreign species such as oysters would never take over in local waters.”The conditions here are too harsh, such as the temperature, sulphur eruptions and red tide.”That is why a hatchery is necessary to grow spat: it would never be able to survive naturally in the open sea.The baby molluscs are only placed in the sea after six months.Currie feels the controlled method of putting oysters in closed baskets attached to a raft further keeps it from becoming an intruder species.Romero explained that the baskets were kept as high as possible – within the first three metres of water.”The deeper you go, the more problems you start having with oxygen and sulphur.”Beira has five rafts in the sea near Pelican Point where between 1.5 to two million oysters are grown.Oysters are harvested every day and up to 200 000 a month are processed.Beira also has a fishing licence to harvest clams, which are indigenous to Namibia.Clams are also doing very well as an exotic seafood, according to Romero.The clams grow naturally in the ground from where they are removed.