Shellfish Farming

Explicit Time/Implicit Space



http://www.americanmussel.com/shellfish_farming.html

Shellfish farming has been practiced for centuries all around the world. In 1235 a shipwrecked Irish sailor, Patrick Walton, planted wooden posts in the inter-tidal zone in the Bay of Aiguillon near La Rochelle in the Southwest of France. He strung nets between the poles to catch seabirds for food. He soon realized that mussels grew on the poles and they became his sustenance. Thus began the "bouchot" method of mussel cultivation. In France today there are about 700 miles of these rows of "bouchots".
Shellfish farming operates under the explicit time and implicit space because cultivation of shellfish is predictable from beginning to end (harvesting). However, space is implicit because similar to fishing, not all shellfish farming can be done in a closed environment and might have to be done in the open sea.

Olympia Oyster Company—Shelton, WA
http://www.olympiaoyster.com/history.htm

This company defines time as the duration of maturation for the oyster. This is explicit because the age of the oyster needs to be monitored in order to ensure the quality. The space is implicit because their oysters are not grown in enclosed cages. The oysters are allowed to mature naturally by the shore and harvested during low tide. This company charges more for oysters that require a longer maturation and more labor to harvest (different type/species).
Tomales Bay Oyster Company—Marshall, CA
http://tomalesbayoysters.com/index.html
This company’s pricing is based on the size of the oyster (extra small, small, medium, large, and jumbo) and also for bulk orders (more than 100 oysters per order). They define time as the maturation duration of the oyster. Space is defined as the space needed for the oyster to grow, which is the entire seashore that the company owns.

Maine Lobster Company
http://www.mainelobsterco.com/

This company prices its lobsters based on the size of the lobster (affects space). The time for live lobsters is the duration of its life. Space is implicit because the space necessary for the lobster to grow is uncertain and is based on multiple factors. The company charges a higher price for the lobsters that take up more space.

Discount Lobster.com
http://www.discountlobster.com/discountlobster.htm

This company prices its lobster by quality or freshness (live, vacuum packed, frozen). The time for the live lobsters is the duration of its life. The time for the vacuum packed and frozen lobsters is the period of time before the lobster deteriorates and becomes unsellable. The company charges a higher price for the live lobster because of its short life but higher quality and can charge less for the dead lobsters that are lower quality.