Hog Island Oyster Company - Business Activities and Operations - Case Study Example

Final Report The company under investigation on its application of the EGS framework on its business activities and operations is the Hog Island Oyster Company. This company operates from Tamales Bay, a bay found along the shored of the Northern parts of California. The main line of business for this company is to grow and harvest oysters for human consumption. As such, the company grows oysters artificially from young seeds all the way to maturity, and then later prepares them for consumption by its customers in a number of restaurants around San Francisco. In order to perfect is production activities, the company engages the services of a dedicated team of farmers, marine biologists, as well as shuckers whose specific role is to focus on the development of oysters. In fact, the founders of the company were two marine biologists who established the company almost three decades ago. Consequently, the company experienced a number of environmental challenges and turmoil through its thirty years of existence but managed to remain steady as a leading and notable player in the Shellfish industry. The company’s capacity in oyster’s production is three million oysters per year, and as such, creates numerous employment opportunities for over three hundred workers. Final Report Introduction What is EGS EGS is an economic platform that advocates for co-existence and smooth operations of business activities alongside undertaking appropriate management practices. It is an abbreviation of Ecosystem Goods and Services, and as such, promotes the production of goods and services under conditions that are environmentally friendly. The Hog Island Oyster Company practices aquaculture, whereby it depends entirely on the environment to derive its raw materials for business activities. as such, in order to sustain its business platform, the company has to ensure sustainability of the ecosystem in such a way that the company’s business activities do not harm or hamper the natural production, growth and development of oysters. The company practices aquaculture, an enterprise that is rapidly growing owing to the massive demand of seafood in the modern world community. The enterprise is an alternative food production venture that maximizes on the ever-increasing demand for healthy and edible seafood. As such, aquaculture provides a structured method of improved management by providing a way for satisfying the demand for seafood, and at the same time providing an alternative from the traditional methods of harvesting seafoods. The EGS framework The ecosystem goods and services framework involves harnessing and utilization of the ecosystem resources in a more sustainable manner. This means that the ecosystem is put under conservation and use at the same time to avoid environmental negative impacts such as pollution and global warming. Pollution is the major effect on the ecosystem when not well put under sustainable utilization. Depletion of resources will also mean that the coming generations will not be able to find the ecosystem goods and resources and use them. Dependence on the Ecosystem The cultivation of oysters for commercial purposes is a booming business with an extensive growth potential. As such, there needs to be a practical Ecosystem Goods and Services framework that enables industry players and the environment to co-exist with one another in order to facilitate sustainability in production. For one, oysters are essential organisms to the ecosystem as they play an instrumental role by cleaning oceanic waters. Furthermore, oysters also assist in the removal of nitric gases from the environment, as well as assist in the acceleration of the process of the removal of nitric gases from the environment. Oysters also assist in improving the clarity of the oceanic waters, as well as creating good shelters for a myriad of small fish. However, environmental concerns and challenges pose a grave threat to the enterprise. For instance, a distinct form of an emerging environmental challenge poses a great threat to the operations of the business. This is the process known as ocean acidification. This process kills young baby oysters, and as such, cuts the direct supply link that the company relies on for its production activities. Most oysters exist at the bottom of the ocean where they grow and multiply easily. As such, the ocean acidification process threatens the normal habitat of these oysters thereby reducing their reproduction significantly. The Ocean provides a perfect habitat for oysters, balanced with the right ingredients for their production. The ocean provides the right temperature, and environment that facilitates multiplication. Oysters in turn support much of the ecosystems processes, in addition to regulating and provisioning water filtration processes. They additionally assist in nutrients cycling, and food web dynamics. They also assist in the process of assimilating phosphorous compounds into shellfish elements, giving an avenue for removal of these elements from the environment. The acidification process creates an unfavorable environment for oyster seeds to develop. The company’s executives suggest that the problem may be caused by the increased worlds demand for fossil fuels, which are large-scale producers of the carbon emissions that make the oceans to be more acidic. Oyster’s shells are made of calcium carbonate compounds. Increased acidity limits the development of these shells, reducing their growth rate and making them easy prey to a multitude of predators. The changes in PH levels weaken the baby oysters, making them more vulnerable to disease attacks. The topic is related to EGS framework in a number of ways. Oysters are essential to the marine ecosystem because of their functions. Secondly, companies have continued to engage in shellfish cultivation without the necessary levels of awareness on how to preserve the environment (Bauhu, Meer & Kanninen, 2010). Impact on the Ecosystem a. Agricultural Activities Leading to Climatic Changes This sector is the largest one depending upon the ecological goods and services and it has some more effects on the ecosystem. During the production processes, crops grow from the soil. This is the basic part agriculture. The crops and animals mostly feed from the soil for example plants obtain their nutrients from the soil while animals get grass and leaves that grows on the soil. During the growing period, crops will need spraying against pests and diseases. Spraying uses chemicals that are toxic and have bad effects on the environment. When the farmland is near a water source or catchment area, the spray chemicals may find their way into the water hence contaminating it (Glavovic & Patterson, 2008). The spray chemicals also drop on the ground and leach into the soil. The chemicals get in contact with the soil microorganisms and they kill them. Fertilizers stimulate plant growth and therefore they should be in considerable amounts. Applying many fertilizers during rainy season also leaches the contents into water bodies and stimulates growth of planktons and water hyacinth. Planktons are advantageous because they are food to fish but hyacinth is a nuisance to water transport and other water based activities. Ploughing practices depends on the geography of the land under cultivation. Slopping lands requires contour farming to minimize soil erosion down the slope when it rains. Contour farming makes the place look beautiful and retains the top soil, which has humus hence, soil fertility. If ploughing is done down slope then there is a risk of soil erosion and leaching of nutrients. The eroded soil lands in riverbeds and dam beds hence causing siltation and this reduces the level of water in rivers and dams. Mechanization of agriculture also has its effects on the ecosystem, for instance when a tractor works on a piece of land it compresses the soil due to its weight hence compacts the soil layers and forming hard pans. Overgrazing is rearing a number of animals that is dense than what the ecosystem can cater for. This overgrazing degrades the land and leads to desertification. Crude land clearing methods like cutting down of trees and burning degrades the land and may lead to climate change due to deforestation. Climate change affects the ecosystem and disrupts ways of survival of the ecosystem members (Koshel & McAllister, 2008). b. Industry and Commercialization Leads to Global Warming The industry and commercialization sector too has effects on the ecosystem in several ways. Industries under production do emit some greenhouse gasses in form of smoke from their operations. This smoke goes out into the clouds and finally to the ozone layer. Continuous emissions lead to depletion of the protective ozone layer leading to green house effect or global warming. This change in climate directly affects the ecosystem and its sustainability and the ecosystem’s member composition changes. Discharge from the industries including waste matter and raw sewage sometimes go direct into rivers. This raw sewage is a threat to marine ecosystem because the effluent has some chemicals still active. This kills marine life and distorts marine ecosystems. Such sewage should go through treatment first before discharging them into rivers. In the transport sector, vehicles in bad condition run on the roads and such vehicles do not undergo complete combustion and therefore releases gases full of sulphur in the air. The sulphur is acidic and hence causing acidic rains that have adverse effects on the ecosystem. Ships and tankers that use water bodies for transport do have mechanical problems that may see oil spills on the water surface. This blocks air supply into the water and therefore causing death to marine life. c. Nuclear Power Leads to Radioactivity Nuclear energy as a source of power does have very dangerous effects on the surrounding ecosystem. Nuclear power poses some risks despite being an efficient form of energy and way of producing power. Therefore, should consider more safety precautions before venturing. For instance, uranium is a vital mineral in nuclear power generation. This mineral is found hundreds of meters down in the ground and its mining usually leaves large tunnels open. These tunnels pose risk to humans and the process degrades land and distorts the ecosystem of the soil around the tunnels. There are times when the unprocessed nuclear energy leaks into the surrounding environment. This causes adverse deadly effects to the surrounding ecosystems. For instance, the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki lead to the distortion of genetic resources around the area for a longer period. Mutants and mutations are very negative effects to the ecosystem and a blow to the ecological goods and services like genetic resources for this case. Hydropower companies use insoluble oil and grease to reduce friction on their turbines that always encounter water. These lubricants sometimes wash away or they leak during maintenance and hence polluting water. This leakage has effects on the marine ecosystem in that fishes and other aquatic life get stress in such environments full of pollutants. Nuclear plants also produce a lot of heat during reactions and energy production. This processes need cooling to optimum production temperatures and therefore needs to be available. Water from the cooling process usually comes out with contaminants including some radioactive substances. These radioactive substances affect the ecosystem by altering functioning of the ecosystem members. This leads to death of the organisms and sometimes-genetic resource distortion. Managers Approach to the Risks Using EGS Framework a. How Managers Mitigate Climatic Changes Managers have the task of mitigation to the adverse effects to the ecosystem brought about by the above sectors. These mitigation measures range from short term immediate measures to long-term measure that will ensure sustainability of the ecosystem and renewable ecological goods and services. For climatic changes, managers who deal directly with the environment in tilling and herd management should make sure that they take care of the environment. For instance, they should make sure that the stocking level of animals should not exceed the amount that the ecosystem can sustainably support. Culling or relocation of the extra stock is advisable or expansion of the holding area altogether (Lynam, 2006). Using of crude land clearing methods like felling down of trees in the forest or burning them down is not the best way. Managers can avoid deforestation by practicing agro forestry or conservation agriculture. Farm managers also should practice organic farming that discourages use of chemicals that pollute the environment. b. How Managers Mitigate Global Warming Industry and transportation managers should put in place some mitigation measures to reduce global warming and emission of greenhouse gases. For instance, according to the ecological goods and services framework, chimneys of the industries should be fitted with catalysts to neutralize the gasses coming out. The industry managers should also treat sewages before discharging them. In the transport sector, managers should use trains to transport goods instead of many trucks that emit alot of green house gasses. c. How Managers Mitigate Radioactive Pollution According to the EGS framework, radioactive plants like those that deal with nuclear power should be far away from human life. This reduces the risk of genetic resource distortion by the rays. Radioactive energy production should be in an enclosed room underground and those people working there should wear protective clothing. Managers should also consider using clean energy like solar power, wind power or hydropower; this eliminates the issue of radioactive pollution. Conclusion In general, the ecological goods and services and the EGS framework looks at making the ecosystem sustainable and at the same time allowing humans to use the resources. The sustainability of the resources are depends on how the different sectors utilizes them and the mitigation measures they take to avoid pollution and distortion of the ecological resources. Good agricultural practices, clean energy and good disposal of wastes are some of the precautions. References Bauhu, J., Meer, P. & Kanninen, M. (2010). Ecosystem Goods and Services from Plantation Forests. Singapore: Earthscan. Cushing, J., Murray, E., Tazik, D. & Wainger, L. (2013). Incorporating Ecosystem Goods and Services in Environmental Planning: A Literature Review of Definitions, Classification and Operational Approaches. Victoria, Canada: Abe Books. Glavovic, B. & Patterson, M. (2008). Ecological Economics of the Oceans and Coasts. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Koshel, P. & McAllister, K. (2008). Transitioning to Sustainability through Research and Development on Ecosystem Services and Biofuels: Workshop Summary. New York: National Academies Press. Lynam, T. (2006). Livelihoods, Land Types, and the Importance of Ecosystem Goods and Services: Developing a Predictive Understanding of Landscape Valuation by the Punan Pelancau People of East Kalimantan. Geneva: Center for International Forestry Research. Appendix Figure 1: Aquaculture: Pacific Oysters. Retrieved from http://www.lib.noaa.gov/retiredsites/korea/main_species/pacific.htm Figure 2: World Oyster production. Retrieved from http://www.themeatsite.com/articles/2093/rising-french-oyster-prices-compensate-mortalities Figure 3: Oyster Production figures. Retrieved from http://northarmcove.nsw.au/environment/oyster-production-nsw-and-oisas Read More