1.1 SITE SELECTION

1.1.1 Introduction

Selecting the proper site for a bivalve hatchery is the most important consideration when deciding to build a hatchery, yet it is a factor that has often been overlooked when some hatcheries were built.

Several factors may have contributed to the inappropriate location of a facility including the lack of one or more of the components of the essential infrastructure, e.g. land availability at reasonable cost, the local availability of electricity and freshwater, a qualified labour force, or good communications. A further consideration has often been that an individual or company may have wished to build a hatchery at a site adjacent to an existing bivalve growout operation. In such cases the hatchery became an add-on feature to an existing operation. Yet, another factor is that an individual or company may own or have rights to a particular location and it proves to be the only place where a hatchery could conveniently be built. While it is true that it may be impossible to build a hatchery at an ideal location, nevertheless certain criteria must be met or a hatchery will likely be doomed to failure.