Resources Database

Lists all forms involved with sanitation and the HACCP guidelines including vibrio control plans, wet storage, daily sanitation reports, a processing log with sales records, shipping temperature compliance, and more.

Lists all forms involved with the annual shellfish management review and forms for municipal activities such as shellfish program deadlines.

List of all forms including a field data collection sheet, MOU for non-private and private lab biotoxin testing and analysis, industry biotoxin sample protocol, guidance for high risk areas and species, and a private lab analysis table.

Evaluates all shellfish growing areas in the state of Maine to determine their suitability for harvest by conducting a "sanitary survey," which is a three-fold process.

Uses the standards outlined by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) to evaluate and certify all wholesale shellfish dealers in Maine to ship, or process shellfish for shipment, within and outside of the state.

If you have been around this business for a while, you’ve probably watched some of the newcomers make the same mistakes you did when you were getting started. ECSGA Executive Director Bob Rheault decided he would try to think of as many of these common pitfalls as he could to help new growers avoid making the same costly blunders. Through the years he has continued to add to the list.

Provides a comprehensive resource to help managers at the local and state level sustain Maine’s valuable shellfish resources. Includes information on the history and biology of the soft-shell clam, northern quahog, American and European oysters, and blue mussels. There are sections on state resources to address water quality issues and predatory species and tools that municipalities can use to preserve or increase their intertidal shellfish resources.

Reviews the types of harmful phytoplankton that produce biotoxins such as Alexandrium, which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning; Pseudo-nitzschia, which causes amnesic shellfish poisoning; and Dinophysis, which causes diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.

This video gives a first-hand account of running a mussel farm by Bangs Island Mussels including on the water gear and husbandry and well as shore-side processing. Some highlights are seeding, socking, hauling and stripping machine, de-clumper, size grader, debyssing machine, automatic bagger/weigher/conveyor, and more.

There are several ways in which birds interact with shellfish aquaculture. Birds can cause significant damage to crops through predation. Some birds fall into the category of protected resources and farmers have been variously accused of interfering with foraging, (either attracting or disturbing or both) and interfering with hunting. Birds can be attracted to aquaculture structures for roosting or foraging and their guano can impact water quality and trigger the need for growers to develop management plans under the National Shellfish Sanitation Plan.

The goal of these new requirements is to control the safety of molluscan shellfish for human consumption by preventing unnecessary growth of bacterial pathogens resulting from improper or ineffective cooling or from time to temperature abuse.

This Internet-based training program was developed by the National Seafood HACCP Alliance—a group comprised of federal and state agencies with responsibility for seafood safety inspections, Sea Grant and university seafood science professionals, and seafood industry representatives. This training curriculum has two segments. Segment One is the Seafood HACCP Internet course. Those who complete the Internet course are eligible to attend a one-day Segment Two course taught by an Alliance instructor.

Guidance document for industry that identifies areas DMR has deemed a high biotoxin risk and specific management criteria for safe harvest.

Overview of how Pemaquid Mussel Farms reached their development goal of a 5 fold increase in production within 10 years to $15 million annually using new technology and business planning.

A federal/state cooperative program recognized by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) for the sanitary control of shellfish produced and sold for human consumption.

A global fish and shellfish health lab, we offer you top-quality diagnostics, import/export inspections, and veterinary solutions from consultation to custom vaccines.

General overview of Vibrio sp. and how consumers can avoid Vibrio-related illness by following current health advisories and proper handling.

Five tips to follow for proper transportation of shellfish using a refrigerated truck.

Provides basic information on harmful algal blooms (HAB) such as causes, most common species, successful management and monitoring programs, control, prevention, and mitigation strategies, economic consequences, associated risks to human health, and impacts on food webs and ecosystems.

Presentation on oyster pathogens and diseases such as MSX, SSO, dermo, and Vibrio, testing protocols, long-term management, oyster predators & pests, the difference bewteen infection and disease, disese prevention, biosecurity, risk evaluation, pathogen surveillance, and zonation.

Intended to help prospective farmers to identify, record, monitor, and manage production hazards, and ultimately minimize production-related risk. Discusses types of risk in aquaculture, record keeping, environmental conditions, biofouling organisms, predators, diseases, parasites, invasive species, and operational procedures.