DNR BIOLOGISTS PLANT RECYCLED OYSTER SHELL IN CHARLESTON
Over the last few weeks, S.C. Department of Natural Resources biologists with the Oyster Shell Recycling Program have been concentrating their oyster shell planting efforts in the Charleston area, where they will have added just over 5,000 bushels of oyster shells to estuarine waters by the end of September. Averaging 60 pounds per bushel, this operation will amount to around 300,000 pounds of shell being planted on Public and Recreational State Shellfish Grounds to increase recreational harvest opportunities and improve oyster habitat.
Funding for this resource conservation effort comes directly from sales of the S.C. Saltwater Recreational Fishing License. Charleston County is the second area to receive recycled oyster shells in 2004. Biologists first began their planting in Georgetown County this year, where they added 9,552 bushels of oyster shells to estuarine waters during June.
Shell will also be planted to bolster recreational harvesting grounds in Colleton, and if time allows, Beaufort counties throughout October. Areas that are not planted this season will receive top priority when planting resumes in the spring of 2005.
"Our target goal is to plant 30,000 bushels of shell this year, and this shell will be distributed in recreational harvesting areas between Georgetown, Charleston, Colleton and Beaufort Counties," said Andy Jennings, S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) marine biologist who supervises the recycling and planting programs. "The goal is to enhance and increase oyster populations in South Carolina."
When the 2003-2004 oyster season ended this spring, South Carolina citizens had voluntarily recycled nearly 7,000 bushels of shell. Residents in Charleston County have been increasing the amount of shell recycled every year for the last four years. This year Charleston County recycled almost 4,000 bushels of oyster shells. Several caterers who conduct oyster roasts in the Charleston area participate by recycling their shells. Residents in Murrells Inlet set the example in South Carolina. Murrells Inlet citizens, along with eight local participating seafood restaurants, recycled over 1,650 bushels this year.
"Word has spread about the South Carolina Oyster Recycling Program, and with 16 recycling bins available in the coastal counties, it's becoming more convenient for the public to participate," Jennings said. "The increase in the amount of shell that South Carolina citizens recycled over the last few years shows that they understand the importance of putting this shell back in the water."
Why is it important to recycle oyster shells and put them back in the water? Oysters reproduce during the warm weather months and release free-swimming larvae into the water. Larvae are carried by tidal currents and after two to three weeks, seek a surface on which to attach so they can begin to build their shells of calcium carbonate. Centuries of oyster cultivation have shown that young oysters prefer to attach to already existing oyster shells. Other materials such as shucked whelk shell have been successful in attracting and supporting young oysters.
The increasing popularity of backyard oyster roasts and by-the-bushel retail sales has contributed to a shortage of oyster shells that are needed to put back overboard onto oyster beds. Shells from individual oyster roasts are not usually put back into the water, and the shells often end up in driveways and landfills. The closing of oyster canneries and most shucking houses over the last three decades contributed to a shortage of oyster shells. These businesses recycled their shells by returning them to previously harvested oyster beds during the summer months.
Although the recycling trend is catching on, DNR biologists say there's still a ways to go. "We estimate that over 200,000 bushels of oysters are consumed in the state each year, meaning that over ninety percent of the oyster shells are not being recycled," said David Whitaker, Director of the DNR Office of Marine Fisheries Management.
Restoring oyster banks will provide for increased recreational availability of oysters, help improve water quality, and establish valuable habitat for a wide variety of marine animals. Oysters are good for the marine environment -- a single oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day, improving water quality by removing sediment and helping to control algal blooms.
Funds from the Saltwater Recreational Fishing License Program help fund the DNR's Oyster Recycling Program. To get maps to recycling bin locations, see pictures of oyster recycling, or to volunteer to help restore oysters via the SCORE program by building and maintaining new oyster reefs, visit the Saltwater Recreational Fishing License Program's Web site at http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/ or call the DNR Marine Resources Center in Charleston at (843) 953-9300.
- Written by Jennie R. Davis -
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