DEVELOPMENT OF AN ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE OYSTER/SHRIMP PRODUCTION SYSTEM

THE RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON THE PRODUCTION OF PREMIUM QUALITY HALF-SHELL OYSTERS USING SHRIMP POND EFFLUENT. SHRIMP POND WATER IS PUMPED THROUGH FLUIDIZED OYSTER COLUMNS, PASSED THOUGH SEDIMENTATION TANKS,AND RETURNED TO THE POND. WHEN FED TO OYSTERS, THE ALGAE- LADEN POND WATER CAN PRODUCE MARKET-SIZE OYSTERS IN LESS THAN 200 DAYS. IN THE FLUIDIZED COLUMNS, THE OYSTERS ARE SUSPENDED IN THE WATER, FREE TO FEED AND GROW WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM EACH OTHER. THE OYSTERS REMOVE ALGAE AND THE SEDIMENTATION TANK REMOVES OYSTER FECES AND LARGE PARTICULATES FROM THE WATER BEFORE IT IS RETURNED TO THE POND. THE USE OF SHRIMP POND EFFLUENT ELIMINATES THE COST OF PRODUCING OYSTER FEED AND GREATLY REDUCES SHRIMP WASTE MANAGEMENT COSTS. THE USE OF FLUIDIZED TECHNOLOGY INCREASESFACILITY UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY AND GREATLY REDUCES LABOR COSTS. THE SHARING OF PONDS REDUCES INVESTMENT FOR PRODUCTION OF BOTH SHRIMP AND OYSTERS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO OBTAIN DATA ON THE EFFICIENCY WITH WHICH OYSTERS OF DIFFERING SIZES CAN REMOVE ALGAE FROM THE FEED WATER AND THE ABILITY OF A BIOLOGICALLY COMPLEX SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN STABILITY. THIS INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL IN THE APPLICATION OF A FLUIDIZED BED TECHNOLOGY TO A COMMERCIAL OYSTER PRODUCTION SYSTEM. CAMPBELL ESTATES HAS AGREED TO A LONG-TERM LEASE OF A 15- ACRE PROPERTY IN KAHUKU, OAHU, WITH AN EXISTING WELL AND DISPERSION POND. FOUR INDIVIDUALS, MESSRS, WILLIAM, GUSS, RICHARD E. O'BRIEN (LETTERS ON FILE), FRED T. MACKENZIE, ANDJAW-KAI WAND, HAVE COMMITTED 600,000 (SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) TO THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THIS PROJECT. THE STATE OF HAWAII HAS TENTATIVELY AGREED TO SUPPLY A $300,000 TO $400,000 (FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) NO-INTEREST NEW AGRICULTURE PRODUCT LOAN TO THE COMMERCIAL VENTURE. THE VERIFICATION OF OUR FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS THAT PREMIUM QUALITY HALF-SHELL OYSTERS CAN BE PRODUCED AT ABOUT $0.20 PER PIECE WILL ENABLE THE COMMERCIAL PROJECT TO MOVE AHEAD.