NJ DEP vs. NJ BAYKEEPER THE BIG OYSTER DEBACLE

 Eastern oysters (crassostrea virginica) are a bivalve mollusks. They can be up to 10 inches long and vary in appearance and shape. The bottom shell binds to a hard substrate, i.e. rock broken shell, other oysters. Although live oyster numbers are increasing, reefs which are important both commercially and ecologically have yet to reappear (Stanne 51). THE OYSTER

 FILTER FEEDERS: oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day! This improves the quality of water, making it cleaner, cleaner, allowing more sunlight to shine through to other ecosystems such as sea grass.  REEF: oysters are the only bivalves that build a vertical structure into the water column Oysters have a disproportionat e affect on their environment for they influence a whole range of other organisms. They play a key role in promoting biodiversity. KEYSTONE SPECIES

 Oyster reefs provide habitat for commercially and recreationally important fish(i.e. flounder and striped bass) as well as other organisms, like crabs, snails, shrimp and other bivalves. OYSTER REEFS

HISTORY Until 1839, there was an estimated 350square miles of oyster beds in New YorkHarbor and upriver as far as Croton, yieldingmore than a million and a half bushels ofoysters.As late as 1907, 300 million oysters wereharvested from waters around New York City.However, soon after that, several complaintsabout foul taste and outbreaks of typhoidfever were linked to the contaminatedshellfish, ending their harvest. Dredging,filing, and silting further destroyed theremaining beds.In 1955, hurricane rainfall caused a lengthydischarge of freshwater over the upriverbeds, killing off the oysters (Stanne 58).

NY/NJ BAYKEEPER utilized a two-prong strategy in hopes of achieving oyster restoration: oyster gardening and remote setting Oyster restoration projects NY/NJ BAYKEEPER

OYSTER RESTORATION

NJ DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (10/P77) TRENTON - The NY/NJ Baykeeper today complied with the state’s ban on research-related gardening of commercially viable oysters in contaminated waters by removing its oysters from New York Harbor. DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said that action helps meet two key goals: safeguarding public health and protecting the health and viability of the State’s $790 million-a-year shellfish industry. “There is a lot at stake here,’’ said Commissioner Martin. “We have an obligation to safeguard the public health and ensure that no contaminated oysters or clams get into the public food supply. We also don’t want to jeopardize an entire, nationally recognized industry that has great economic value to this state by allowing the Baykeeper to continue operating its research project with commercial oysters in tainted waters.’’ “If someone were to get sick from eating shellfish from contaminated waters, there’s a risk people might stop buying or eating New Jersey grown shellfish.’’ The shellfish industry includes many small businesses that employ many hundreds of state residents, providing incomes for thousands of people and creating needed tax revenues for New Jersey, the Commissioner said. While the Department offered an alternative location for the Baykeeper’s oyster research project _ which could have provided a temporary home for the group’s valuable research effort _ the Baykeeper declined that offer.

Star Ledger documents the removal of oysters COM/WATCH?V=ACGZ8N 657LY

OYSTER REMOVAL

MAYBE?

NJ SHELLFISH INDUSTRY Use of the logo helps to increase visibility and consumer awareness of the quality and wholesomeness of products grown and harvested in New Jersey. From the Garden State… it’s a shore thing!

NJ FACTS  In 2006, Barnegat Light landed $25.5million of fish primarily sea scallops andmonkfish.  Almost 100 different species of finfish andshellfish were landed.  There are six major commercial fishingports: Atlantic City, Barnegat Light, Belford,Cape May, Point Pleasant and Port Norris.  It is estimated that for every one dollar oflanded value, six dollars are generated inthe overall economy bringing the value ofthe wild harvest to $876 million. That ’ s almost $1 BILLION.  Atlantic City brought in 24.2 million poundsof ocean quahogs and surf clams valued at$36.8 million.  New Jersey is one of the leading suppliers ofsurf clams, Atlantic mackerel and oceanquahogs to both the nation and the world.