Featured Image Credit: ModernFarmer
By Kira Krall
There are a million ways to eat oysters. You can roast them like a local, slurp ‘em up on the half shell, or add layers of ooey gooey cheese to the famously delicious filter feeders. Oysters were once so popular that the industry almost crashed for good, but one University sought to change that.
The University of Georgia has spent 20 years researching how to revive the over-harvested oyster industry. In 1908, Georgia harvested a whopping 8 million pounds of oyster meat for the canning industry. Just 6 years ago, that number plummeted to 11,500 pounds. UGA switched their attention to oysters on the half shell, the shellfish-du-jour in many upscale restaurants. This careful cultivation has led to an oyster hatchery that UGA is proud of.
They are so proud, in fact, that they recently hosted their first “Oyster Roast for a Reason” at their shellfish lab and aquarium in Savannah, Georgia. This benefit raised awareness about Georgia’s potential to revive its once-thriving oyster fishery.
So why buy local? United States fisheries are required to abide by certain regulations. Fishing gear, boats, and other fisheries equipment has to be up to code. There’s also a limit on how many of each species a fishery can take from local reefs, rather than the “bag ‘em all” philosophy in other countries.
The success of UGA’s research paired with the commitment from local growers and buyers has led to a projected $1 million dollar revenue for a single supplier within the next 5 years. This $1 million provides domestic jobs working with resources that are literally in people’s backyards.