Wilmington, N.C. — August 18, 2013 — The bays and sounds of North Carolina once yielded hundreds of thousands of bushels of oysters a year, before pollution, overfishing , disease and other factors caused their populations to decline.
Now a small group of scientists and growers is laying the groundwork to revive the industry by cultivating oysters in cages and bags. So far, oyster aquaculture has produced modest returns in North Carolina, accounting for less than 21 percent of a $2.9 million oyster industry.
But proponents look north to Virginia to show what’s possible. There, the state has invested heavily in developing strains of oysters that do well in aquaculture, and production from oyster growers has increased by more than 35 times since 2005.
“They’re going crazy with producing oysters right now,” said Marc Turano of N.C. State University and N.C. Sea Grant, an organization that supports coastal activity.
Nearly a dozen fish and shellfish are now raised through aquaculture in North Carolina, including trout, catfish, tilapia and even sturgeon. But unlike most other species, which are raised in tanks inside buildings, oysters are cultivated in the same public waters where wild shellfish live.
That means the benefits of oyster farming go beyond the farmers, who can attain year-round, large-scale production without relying on natural stocks that continue to dwindle. The oyster also helps the environment by filtering water, stabilizing shorelines and providing habitat for other commercial fisheries.
But oyster farmers face challenges, including storm damage, disease and theft. Meager state support to develop domesticated oyster lines and the interests of coastal landowners also put pressure on the industry.
Read the full story at the News Observer