WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2012 5 Editor’s Note In the last issue of World Aquaculture I wrote about the drought — persisting still — withering grain crops in the US grain belt. Now I write in the aftermath of more natural disasters, a “superstorm” that slammed into the US northeast and a cyclone hitting India. Superstorm Sandy led New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to comment that a 100-year extreme weather event is now occurring every two years. Freakish weather is the new normal. I do not intend to turn my Editor’s Note into a chronicle of the effects of climate change on aquaculture, but these latest storms may be a signal of what lies before us. Aquaculture, especially on the coasts, will be dealing with potentially catastrophic weather events with increasing frequency. It is an important story to tell, if only for the lessons learned on how to better prepare for natural disasters and how to make farmers and facilities more resilient in the face of increased risk of repeated losses. Given that Superstorm Sandy was so large, about 1000 mi in diameter, effects were felt widely. Most shellfish growing areas from Norfolk, Virginia to Portland, Maine were closed. The Chesapeake Bay was closed to shellfishing, except for the Eastern Shore. Some North Carolina growing areas were closed. In the aftermath of the storm, Bob “Skid” Rheault described the shellfish industry in the region as “in a shambles.” Some of the worst devastation happened in New Jersey, where the greatest storm surge and winds occurred. Early estimates indicate that two of six hard clam hatcheries are nearly a total loss, among them the oyster and clam hatcheries owned and operated by Dale Parsons near Tuckerton and John Schriever in West Creek. Four other hatcheries sustained minimal damage and most seed was already planted. Some clam operations behind Atlantic City and around Tuckerton did not fare well. Shellfish mortality in the growing areas of western Long Island Sound was high, with estimates of 50-90 percent. For several days, turbulent seas pounded these shallow beds, causing burial by shifting sediments or chipping of shells. Shallow areas in coastal New Jersey were likewise damaged. Shoreside infrastructure in western Long Island Sound is largely intact. Clams on Atlantic Coast leases in New Jersey seem to have experienced minimal damage. High water apparently protected most planted clams and oysters on deepwater leases. Intertidal rack and bag systems in Delaware Bay were sufficiently submerged to be spared the worst effects of wind, waves and surge. The Haskin Lab on Delaware Bay had minor water damage and lost a boatshed. Dave Bushek reports that “the Haskin oyster stocks appear to be fine along with those of the local growers.” The dune that protects the Cape Shore laboratory from Delaware Bay was destroyed and washed into the road. The tidal surge that flooded New York City closed the major seafood distribution hub there, but the Fulton Fish Market reopened two days after the storm. Growing areas in eastern Long Island, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were largely spared. Two days after Superstorm Sandy hit the northeast US, Cyclone Nilam main landfall in Tamil Nadu, India, about 50 km south of Chennai. The cyclone brought flooding rains but the major fish farming areas of Tamil Nadu were not affected. However, in anticipation of flooding rains and outbreaks of white-spot syndrome virus that normally occur following such storms, many shrimp farmers preemptively and prematurely harvested their crops. Thus, there was little direct damage to aquaculture facilities in Tamil Nadu and the main effects were indirect. Possibly the most serious effect of Cyclone Nilam was experienced south of the landfall area, where there are many hatcheries that supply fish and shrimp seed throughout India. High winds caused minor damage to hatchery infrastructure but wind and rain created poor water quality for hatcheries, especially wide temperature fluctuation. As a result, hatchery seed production was badly affected. Many farmers have prepared ponds to receive fish and shrimp seed, but none are available. Throughout November there was almost no production from hatcheries in this area. Farther north, in Andhra Pradesh — the state responsible for of more than 60 percent of shrimp production in India — heavy rains occurred along the coast. However, farmers normally experience heavy rains and flooding during this time of year and most had harvested their ponds or were well-prepared to manage the event. So the direct damage was again not very significant. When the storm reached the Kakinada coast in northern Andhra Pradesh, it brought massive amounts of rain to the upper catchment. Overnight, a pocket of aquaculture production in the north of Kakinada (near Tuni) was completely submerged under 2 m of floodwater. The deluge was so sudden that farmers were caught totally unaware. About 400 t of shrimp worth about US$ 2.2 million were washed away. This was the only major crop loss recorded. EDITORS NOTE: Information for this piece was provided by Joseph Myers from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Bob Rheault on behalf of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, Gef Flimlin, Dave Bushek, and Rick Karney. Information from India was provided by “Bala” Balasubramaniam V, General Secretary of the Prawn Farmers Federation of India. — John A. Hargreaves, Editor-in-Chief Aquaculture Storm Damage from Sandy and Nilam
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