Hatchery Compliance Program
GOAL
Incentivize best management practices for biosecurity during the production and transfer of shellfish seed to streamline the facilitation of regulation and commerce.
PREMISE
The most biosecure shellfish products are those that have not been exposed to raw water, namely larvae and newly set seed. Even small seed that have low filtration rates and less exposure to untreated seawater are more biosecure than larger, older seed.
Supporting data are provided by years of shellfish seed transfer health evaluations by the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
PARTICIPATION IS VOLUNTARY
HATCHERY FACILITIES are encouraged to apply to be a BMP-compliant hatchery facility.
- Follow best management practices (BMPs) to improve the facility biosecurity
- Further demonstrate the effectiveness of the BMPs via routine standardized health evaluations on products.
BMP-compliant facilities are provided a letter of compliance to share with regulators in states where they want to send seed.
STATE REGULATORS are encouraged to consider hatchery compliance participation and status in their evaluation of requests for shellfish seed importations.
- Shellfish importation permits are still required regardless of RSSBP participation
- Shellfish disease (the focus of RSSBP) is just one of the considerations for seed transfers.
HATCHERY PARTICIPATION OPTIONS
Find the option that fits your business model.
Use the BMPs to improve biosecurity practices regardless if you participate in seed transfers.
If your facility doesn’t have the ability to comply with the BMPS, simply continue the batch health evaluations for commerce.
APPLY
Enrolled Facility
Submit a hatchery application and pass the documentation review which evaluates if facility practices on the application are aligned with the Program BMPs. This first step is appropriate for facilities in the process of building a three-year health history on products for transfer. It is also appropriate for facilities whose business model doesn’t necessitate seed transfers, to document biosecurity practices.
BMP-Compliant Facility
Pass an annual, in-person facility audit which verifies the biosecurity practices are in place.
The audit process is not intended to negatively impact industry commerce. It should be seen as an opportunity for dialog and to find ways to further improve the facility biosecurity. The job of the auditor is to verify the implementation of the Program BMPs.
How/When?
Audits are set up by a member of the RSSBP team and generally held in the fall to early spring depending on the facility operating schedule. Ideally, auditors will be onsite to see active operation, but will avoid peak production times.
Who?
The auditors are independent of the
RSSBP and its stakeholders; selected to maintain consistency across facilities and remove any perceived bias. Initial audits are conducted by at least two auditors to provide a comprehensive review of the implementation of the facility biosecurity BMPs. Auditors provide recommendations to approve, deny, or conditionally approve
(pending a corrective action) facility BMP compliance.
What?
The audit consists of a detailed walkthrough of the facility with the hatchery manager.
Audits typically `follow the water’ starting where the source water enters the hatchery, is
treated, and how it’s distributed to the other production areas. An initial audit takes close
to two hours, depending on the size and complexity of the hatchery systems, with auditors
asking questions and taking notes.
Biosecure Product(s)
BMP-compliant hatcheries can certify products specific to species and size as biosecure to facilitate transfers. Apply and pass an annual audit of health evaluation records which further demonstrates the effectiveness of the Program BMP implementation.
Eligible Products must be held on water treated to eliminate pathogens (e.g., 1µm filtered water or well water). At this time, nursery products reared in untreated, ambient waters are not eligible.
Eligible Products must have records of health evaluations from an independent pathology laboratory that:
- cover the previous three years;
- with a minimum of two sampling events per species, per year during the production season (6 samples over the 3- year period);
- that demonstrate no detections of POCs. The sole exception is an acceptable level of Perkinsus marinus (Dermo disease) where it is ubiquitously distributed and persistent.