Hatchery production of seed: a future trend in mussel culture?

Mussel (Mytilus edulis) culture in Atlantic Canada utilizes wild seed harvested from spat collection sites. The economics associated with wild-caught seed have proven to be more favourable than with hatchery-produced seed. This is not, however, the case in all areas. In Washington state, seed used for culturing M. galloprovincialis is produced in hatcheries. As it becomes increasingly difficult to reliably acquire seed in Atlantic Canada, and the market demands more product, seed requirements may become a larger issue. Will there be a widespread requirement for hatchery-reared seed and, if so, what are the current constraints to production? There are many aspects to consider with this question. The advantages of a hatchery programme include the potential for selective breeding programmes to produce novel shell patterns, greater control over seed quality, and the ability to produce polyploids for superior growth and sterility. Some of the disadvantages of a hatchery programme include the high initial cost, requirement for research to improve the economic feasibility of hatchery methods, and the fact that the infrastructure for wild seed collection currently exists but that for hatchery-reared seed does not. This paper discusses the constraints and merits of using hatchery-produced seed and compares the situation in Atlantic Canada with that in Washington state.