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Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Project  |
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is a member of the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force, a coalition of organizations working to revitalize the fledgling oyster population of Delaware Bay. In 2005, this group was funded by a Congressional appropriation and, since then, it has received additional federal funding, the grand total of which currently stands at $5 million. Key members of the restoration group include: the Cumberland County Empowerment Zone, Delaware Bay Shellfisheries Council, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control, Delaware River and Bay Authority, Delaware River Basin
Commission, Delaware State University's College of Agriculture and Related Sciences, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Rutgers
University’s Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
During the summer of 2005, the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force initiated a large-scale oyster shell-planting and transplant program that, to date, has deposited more than 1.4 million bushels of shell onto existing oyster reefs. These "seed beds" are needed because oyster larvae require a clean, hard surface upon which they can attach or "recruit." This effort has yielded a substantial increase in survival among juveniles; this despite a population decline in areas outside the seed beds. |
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Oyster larvae require a clean, hard surface upon which they can attach or "recruit." Due to a shortage of such natural resources, the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force has "planted" surf clam, ocean quahog and Maryland oyster shell in an effort to revitalize the Delaware Bay oyster population.
Photo Credit: Bayshore Discovery Project |
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Why Oysters?
For centuries, oysters have provided a sustainable food supply and contributed to the local economies of Delaware and New Jersey communities. In fact, one to two million bushels were harvested every year during the 1930s, when the population initially began to decline. The introduction of the oyster disease MSX in the 1950s, followed in the 1990s by a second disease, Dermo, has resulted in a significant decline in the oyster population. Consequently, the industry has been imperiled.
The oyster population rebounded somewhat by 2000 due to the combined efforts of both states and the oyster industry, producing some 100,000 bushels per year. Today, however, the oyster population is feeling the effects of five years of below-average biological recruitment for unknown reasons.
Over time, the shell-planting and transplant program could increase production to approximately 200,000 to 400,000 bushels per year, with a possible economic impact of up to $60 million between the two states. This is money that would not only revitalize the oyster population in the future, but also many coastal communities dependent upon the living resource.
For more information on the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Project, please read our brochure (PDF file), past press releases, or contact Eric Powell of Rutgers University’s Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at (856) 785-0074, extension 4300. For more insight into the history of Delaware Bay oysters, please read the Partnership's spring 2005 issue of Estuary News, as well as our oyster fact sheet (PDF file). And for additional insight into the Delaware Estuary's other living resources, please click here.
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Disease and overharvesting have led to a depleted oyster supply. However, with efforts like that of the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force, the population may well return to prominence once again.
Photo Credit: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife |
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Delaware Bay Oyster Recipes |
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The recipes below were prepared at the 30th Annual Delaware Coast Day in Lewes, Delaware, as part of the Delaware Bay Oyster Appetizer Competition on October 1, 2006. The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force sponsored the event, after which it sent the winning chef to New Orleans, where he represented the State of Delaware in the Great American Seafood Cook Off on August 4, 2007. The winner was James A. Lauser, executive chef of the Wilmington/Christina Hilton Hotel, and his combination platter included a trio of recipes (PDF files):
To learn more about the Delaware Bay Oyster Appetizer Competition, please read the press release entitled "Delaware Bay Oysters, Local Chef, Destined for National Competition" (PDF file) in our online "Newsroom." |
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Delaware Bay Oyster Garlic Pepper Sauce |
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| Gift Giving With a Purpose
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is selling five-ounce bottles of authentic Delaware Bay Oyster Garlic Pepper Sauce. This product has been tasted and sold at both Delaware Coast Day and Southeastern Pennsylvania Coast Day, where audiences have given it rave reviews. And why not? It has won multiple international awards, making it the perfect addition to any meal, especially fresh Delaware Bay oysters. Buy it by the boatload for your dinner table or that special someone. Every purchase benefits the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Project. Simply call (800) 445-4935, extension 113, to place an order with Shaun Bailey.
Price: $8 per bottle (shipping included)
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