History of the Area's Shellfish Industry

The native oyster was marketed as early as 1884, but production ceased as a result of a drastic decline in stocks due to over fishing during the early 1900's. Pacific oysters have been actively farmed in BC since the introduction of seed from Japan in the 1920's, making shellfish culture the oldest sector of the aquaculture industry on the west coast of North America. From the beginning, through to the 1970's, the industry generally operated as a family or lifestyle business, often under-utilizing the existing land base and employing a ranching philosophy.

From the late 1970’s through to the present, the following factors have led to significant changes to the industry:

• Production improvements through research, technology transfer and developments such as inexpensive and reliable hatchery seed stocks, mechanization, new suspended culture technologies, etc.;
• A shift in the structure of the industry to younger companies with a technology orientation, business and environmental focus; this is a new generation of farmers determined to pursue sustainable aquaculture as both a career and a lifestyle;
• Global air-freight services opening up strong international export markets for world-class quality products;
• Diversification of the industry into new species and higher-value product forms.