Oyster Rearing on the River Yealm

Abstract

In a recent issue of this Journal Dr Hughes (1940) published records of a successful attempt to rear oysters in tanks on the River Yealm during the summer of 1939. In this paper he referred to plans for the following year, and it therefore seems desirable to record a few notes on the 1940 season.Since Dr Hughes left Plymouth I have kept in touch with Mr J. Kingcome, the owner of the fishery, and from time to time have visited his tanks and proffered technical advice. In this I have had the willing co-operation of Mr H. A. Cole of Conway whenever his opinion has been sought. Mr King come has most readily adopted suggestions we have made, and it is to his careful attention and unremitting work that the successful results here recorded are due.Further History of the 1939 SpatDr Hughes mentioned that in August 1939 some of the larger spat were detached from the tiles and placed in cages in the estuary of the river. At the time of writing (mid-October 1940) these range from 4.5 to 8 cm. in diameter. The remainder of the spat spent the winter on the tiles in tank C (Hughes, 1940, Fig. 1), being given almost daily changes of water from the estuary. They were detached from April to July 1940 and placed like the others in wire-meshed cages just above low-water mark spring tides. These oysters have by no means reached the size of those which have been out since August 1939, the size range being 2–4 cm. in diameter.