PRODUCTIVE PROCESS

 

CAPTIVATION

In PECMAR where the cultivation process of Coquilles St. Jacques (scallops) is carried out by the Long Line system (suspended cultivation) the start of the process of breeding comiences with the natural captivation of larvae

Therefore our monitoring teams control daily, using a water column, their posible appearance in cultivating areas. On confirmation of a high presence, estimated at more than 30/40 larvae per cubic metre, collection bags are installed.

The collection bags, of Japanese origin, are double walled bags that are able to make the larvae stick to the bag when contact is made. The sticking process is continual during the days when they are present and can reach densities of more than 1.000 larvae per bag. Many thousands of bags are installed on detecting the presence of the larva.

 

 

INITIAL CULTIVATION

After some two months the larvae suck in the bags have become Coquille St. Jacques (scallops) achieving a size of 2-3 mm. and they are called seeds. Then the harvesting is carried out passing all the contents to suspended systems, with torcehs of 10 floors, with dense mesh whereby after 40/50 days the seed reaches a size of 8 and 10 mm.

This is when the seed is divided into other systems called "pearl net" whereby its pyramid design favours a rapid growth of its contents. The seed will remain there in its initial process until reaching a size of 20/22 mms, whereby the seed is sown in L1 systems of 15mm of mesh with a density of 100-120 individuals per floor and will remain 2/3 months until reaching 35/40 mms.

Using this method the stage of initial cultivation will have been covered in a time of between 6 and 7 months. During this stage with daily monitoring, different marine currents, salt levels, oxygen in order to accommodate the product at optimum depth, have been taken into consideration.

INTERMEDIATE CULTIVATION

 

During the deactivation of the L1 system, whereby the product reaches a size of 35/40 mms. Is when the intermediate cultivation is applied; the systems are transferred to a work platform and it is there where the product is seen, sieved and sown in different densities in systems L2 (21 mm) and L3 (31mm), depending on its size. They pass from a density of 100/120 to the new habitat with a density of 50/60.

Then some 70/80 days later another process of sieving and dividing is carried out where densities are reduced again and the product is sown in L3 system where the fattening will be made.

Also during this stage permanent knowledge of the temperatures, salt level, oxygen, phytoplankton, have been taken into consideration in order to control the growth in normal conditions.

FATTENING UP

In the fattening up stage the product is found in small density 25/30 individual per floor and will remain there until it is considered suitable to harvest. In the fattening up period special attention has been given to the sanitary aspect, the habitat has been monitored weekly to verify that there are no toxins or other contaminants. This sanitary monitoring are not carried out by the monitoring staff of PECMAR, but by the Company CERPER, which is one of the companies assigned by the ITP for the sanitary control or hydro biological products of Peru.