CCA & Local Groups Team Up to Recycle Oysters
Posted: December 9th, 2010With the number of oysters roasts held in the Lowcountry this time of year, one would think that local oysters are plentiful. The real truth is that the supply can’t keep up with the demand and if oyster recycling efforts aren’t adhered too, our local crops could be in danger.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has initiated and oyster recycling and restoration program that has caught on among many restaurants, associations and marine conservancy groups. In fact, the South Carolina Coastal Conservation Association just received a $10,000 grant from the Wallace F. Pate Foundation in South Carolina to participate in the program.
What started out as a simple idea of an adopt- a- creek program has blossomed into CCA SC’s Topwater Action Campaign. With a slogan of “Habitat today equals fish for tomorrow,” the program has grown into a grass roots effort that focuses on improving fisheries habitat and water quality up and down South Carolina’s coast. Building on the notions of oyster recycling, oyster reef restoration/ creation, water quality, and education, the program’s mission and message are resonating with both anglers and communities.
With cooperation from both state and federal agencies including SCDNR, SCDHEC, & NOAA, the first 22 months of the program have seen tremendous results and state wide community support.
Mike Able, CCA SC Government Relations Committee chairman said he learned that only 25 percent of the public oyster beds at Cummings Point were open opposed to the 70 percent that was seen during the late 1960′s.
“That is an enormous amount to lose for that area,” he said. “But we learned that most of that was caused by home development around Secessionville, and go feces that ran off into the waterways. DNA sampling found the cause of the pollution to those beds. After hearing this I was dazed. I’ve fished these waters all my life and having grown up here I knew that if we didn’t take a hard look at non-point pollution we’re headed for a lot of trouble.”
What resulted from that meeting was the CCA’s decision to create a program that would have a direct impact on improving the resource. Volunteers were quickly organized for the first phase of the effort which entails the collection of used shells from oyster roasts and festivals; the latest example of that coming last week at the Sullivan’s Island Fire Department oyster roast.
“CCA got behind this because we need to educate the public on the purpose and the need to recycle shell. Sewage seepage and animal waste are polluting out waters and there’s a way to stop it and fix it,” Able said. He added that for the last 25 years the CCA has brought to light resources and science based information. “We’ve done enormous things for the State of South Carolina but it has been behind the scenes work. We thought this recycling effort would be a way for CCA members to be out and about and possibly bring in new members. The idea is to involve the public, schools, scouts and others who can help make a difference,” Able said.
Scott Whitaker, CCA South Carolina executive director said the organization wanted to continue to be successful in the advocacy role of watchdog for marine conservation but the group felt it was time to have a habitat arm of the organization.
“It is so imperative that we put shells back out there because spatch (oyster larvae) needs a structure to attach itself to. A shell is the perfect habitat. One shell can yield four attachments which equates to about 4,000 oysters,” Able said.
Money from another grant was used to purchase two barges for hauling recycled shell to designated shell beds. Each barge can haul about 150 bushels of shell. Working with DNR local CCA chapter members are trying to identify creeks that can be recovered. This means with a little work, water quality can be returned to an acceptable level and oysters can begin to grow at a healthy rate. This would also mean that existing public oyster beds can be reopened. DNR has grant money to clean up these waterways and is working with residents in the area and business owners to reduce non-point pollution into the creeks.
In the meantime, the recycling effort is crucial because as waterways become clean again, oyster shells will be recycled, quarantined, cleaned and then deposited back into the creeks.
Able noted that one oyster filters about a gallon of water an hour. That helps with water quality. When it rains or when water quality is bad is when officials must close down public oyster beds. Since oysters are filter feeders, humans do not want to consume oysters that come from areas with poor water quality.
“In addition, when you create an oyster reef you create a habitat for fish, crabs, and finfish. And it helps regenerate spartina grass behind banks which usually disappears because of erosion and boat traffic,” Able said.
The idea is simple. Anyone having an oyster roast which will produce over 30 bushels of shell can call CCA volunteers who will come pick up the shell for recycling. Anyone having an oyster roast producing less than 30 bushels can recycle their own shell at drop off sites around town. In Mount Pleasant their is a collection site at the Town of Mount Pleasant Public Works facility on Six Mile Road and one at Simmons Seafood on the Isle of Palms.
“We hope people who buy just a few bushels won’t go dump the shells in the creek because it could introduce a new bacteria to our area and create long term problems,” Able said.
This is the third year CCA has partnered with the Restaurant Association and Boone Hall to collect the shells produced from the annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival. During the beginning phase of this volunteer program, CCA members quickly realized that the public was unaware about the recycling efforts and what it takes to make it work.
“The shells have to be clean of trash and debris,” said CCA SC Volunteer Organizer Gary Keisler. “Too often people will throw rags and trash into the containers with the shells so we’re trying to educate people so that they have a barrel for the shells and a barrel for their trash.”
Able said that CCA volunteers routinely have to sift through the shells to remove the trash before they can take the shells to be recycled.
At the recent Sullivan’s Island Volunteer Fire Department Oyster Roast, CCA volunteers were able to recycle approximately 200 bushels of shell. Signs were placed along the tables indicating that only shell was to be dropped into designated containers. This helped cut down on the amount of trash that had to be removed from the shell. The oyster roast at Vickery’s in Mount Pleasant also contributed over 60 bushels. The annual Daniel Island Oyster Roast will be a contributor this year along with local caterer John G. Thornhill from Charleston Bay Gourmet, and caterer Kevin Westendorf.
“The folks at Vickery’s were very helpful. We used the five gallon buckets that the oysters came in to collect the shells and they worked with us to make sure trash and shell stayed separate,” Keisler said.
“We’ve got to educate people on the fact that the shells are being recycled and once we get to that point, we won’t even have to be on site for each event,” Able said. “We’ll just show up the next morning to retrieve the shell.”
CCA’s efforts last year produced an estimated 3,000 bushels of recycled shells. With the oyster roast season just beginning, the volunteers have set a 4,000 bushel recycling goal by March of 2010. Along with other festivals in different communities, the Boone Hall Oyster festival in January has been the largest single source of recycled shell for the program (over 1,100 bushels each of the last two years) and the cooperation with that event coordinators has provided lessons learned in the efficiency of how best to go about collecting the shells.
The way it works
Recycled shells are taken to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources facility and quarantined for six to nine months. They are tested for bacteria before they are put back into local waters. It does not matter if shells come from other parts of the country because the quarantine process is so rigorous. It is imperative that bacteria not indigenous to the area not be placed into local waters.
Once the shells are ready to be placed, they are bagged in biodegradable bushels bags and lined along banks to make a reef.
According to Whitaker, not only does this program help our coastal resources but it also saves money. “The state was literally trying to raise money to purchase shells from other states. We’re turning cost and expenses for renewable resources and making it an asset by simply recycling and reusing what we already have and what we’re consuming. This is a straight forward common sense approach to our marine resources,” he said
According to Whitaker, South Carolina is on the leading edge of this type effort which is being emulated in North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. In South Carolina, CCA’s effort reaches statewide, not just along the coast.
Get involved!
Look for CCA volunteers at the next big event at Boone Hall which is the 27th annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival. They’ll be wearing reflective vests that say CCA Oyster Recovery Team. For more information on CCA SC’s Topwater Action Campaign visit www.ccasouthcarolina.com. Keisler is the organizer for this program and should be contacted if your organization has shell to be recycled. He can be reached at 696-6274.
CCA is a grass roots organization run by a state board of 45 volunteers from all over the state. For more information on the recycling program state-wide, visit: Ocean Recycling and Restoration Program.
– Sully Witte – News Editor, Moultrie News
