John Bonardelli

Biography

John pioneered offshore submerged longline culture for scallops and successfully applied these techniques for mussel culture in Quebec in the 80s, and set up mussel production operations including processing and sales to the Canadian and European markets, before transferring these techniques internationally. He completed his PhD in marine ecology at Laval Univ., and in coastal oceanography at Bedford Institute of Oceanography, in 1994. John gained valuable public sector experience in the Department of Fisheries in Quebec, as scientific advisor and to implement strategic development plans for the shellfish industry.

Dr Bonardelli moved to Norway in 2002 to help build up the production and technical competence within the mussel industry. Through Shellfish Solutions AS, John works directly with growers and processors, and advises government regulators on various issues that impact on creating a strong knowledge base within a sustainable industry. John’s goal is to structure the industry into a competitive and profitable player in the market. He works with industry in technology transfer, teaching cost-efficient production methods, establishing structured sampling, socking and traceability protocols to improve competence. This approach impacts positively on the confidence and communication skills among growers, processors and public officers. To stay ahead of development, John has worked over 29yrs with growers in North and South America, Australia-New Zealand, Europe and Scandinavia, to share knowledge and gain practical experience. John manages the community Facebook site (Mussel Talk), and recently created the first global mussel portal www.musseltalk.com, to provide the international mussel industry with relevant information on best suppliers and practical insight into cost-effective production techniques. He can be reached at shellfish.solutions@gmail.com.

Abstract

The trend to moving shellfish production from sheltered to offshore locations is attractive, with greater access to space, water depth and food availability; or daring! Yet profitability itself depends on these critical factors for optimizing production volume with filter feeders. After pioneering submerged longline technology to produce mussels and scallops in areas exposed to winter drift-ice and to hurricane conditions in the western Atlantic, it’s relevant to share the technical challenges that can be used to our advantage to increase production volume and quality.

Markets select mussels by size, but pay by the packed weight. For growers to obtain the highest returns, they need grow-out strategies that can maximize yields and quality before harvest, in order to satisfy the quality demands by processors and, to minimize post-harvest waste of sub-commercial shells. While most producers see the offshore move as a risky and costly venture, it’s possible to demonstrate, through proper sampling and monitoring techniques, that production biomass on mussel longlines can be significantly improved. With practical examples from different countries, field-tested methods highlight how the use of adapted floatation gear, quality socking materials, and risk management techniques, can increase production biomass without additional effort and still reduce environmental pressure.