Coastal restoration efforts help bring back an industry

Submerged in brackish waters along the Connecticut coastline, newly nested oyster beds are helping restore the environment and protect generations of family tradition in New England aquaculture.

Robert Norrholm, Owner, Belle Shellfish: “Connecticut was the cream of the crop, pun intended for for oysters, you know, and that we want to see that come back.” 

Around the turn of the 20th century, oysters became a popular dietary staple for New Englanders. In Connecticut, demand for mollusks was particularly high because of the nutrient rich environments of the natural oyster beds set.  

Tessa Getchis, aquaculture extension specialist, Connecticut Sea Grant: “So what's really unique in Connecticut are these large tracts of oyster beds that are in intertidal areas like this, but also in deep water areas. 

According to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, the steep rise in popularity for oysters led to depletion of the natural beds due to overfishing. To keep up with strong demand, oystermen began cultivating oysters and oyster seed to raise their own stocks. As the decades progressed, so did cities and towns. Expanding communities and agriculture took a toll on the water aquaculture farmers depended on for raising shellfish. 

Tessa Getchis, aquaculture extension specialist, Connecticut Sea Grant: “Many places the oyster beds have really been decimated early on by overfishing, but later by developing it here in Connecticut, we've faced all of those impacts early on. But these oyster beds are large and they have been sustained by industry and protected by regulators through the years.

Tessa Getchis is an Aquaculture Extension Specialist with the University of Connecticut Sea Grant Program. Getchis works with the fishing industry and seaside communities to help establish and strengthen support for the shellfish industry while improving the environment where fishermen work.

Even with local oversight and industry regulation, yields from oyster harvests have been on a steady decline, according to the Connecticut Bureau of Aquaculture. Layers of silt have covered existing cultch, prohibiting oyster larvae from setting on shells and continuing to grow into adulthood. Getchis and other colleagues established a pilot program to encourage restoration of the oyster beds as a way to clean up the environment and, at the same time, protect a way of life.  

Tessa Getchis, aquaculture extension specialist, Connecticut Sea Grant: ”So when we started, it was just ahead of COVID and we wanted to bring people together to talk about what is the future of the Connecticut oyster industry and also these natural habitats.”

When restaurants shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, oyster farmers were stranded without markets or consumers. At the same time, Getchis needed boots on the ground, or more precisely, boots in the boats, to help launch the restoration plans for Connecticut oyster habitats.

With boats and businesses idle, boat captains were recruited to help get rid of the silt choking the Connecticut shellfish industry. Tessa Getchis, Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Connecticut Sea Grant: “ They couldn't sell their oysters. And we were trying to come up with a plan to keep them in business. And we had these beautiful beds that needed to be restored. And this fleet that was just ready to work. And so we really didn't have to convince them to, to get out and help us with this. They knew it was important. It’s their insurance really.”   Robert Norrholm, Owner, Belle Shellfish: “These gaps right here that allows the shell to pass through the direction and keep the shell on the bottom. This will hold the oysters in it. So we're eliminating keeping the shell on the bottom, but we're taking up any other shell that the guys have that's on the bench to put it right back down.”

Along with varying species of shellfish, the waters of Long Island Sound also carry generations of family tradition. Robert Norrholm is owner of Belle Shellfish and is part of the seven generations of his family who have spent their lives harvesting clams and oysters off the coast of Connecticut.  Robert Norrholm, Owner, Belle Shellfish: “So one, I love to tell this to everyone. One full grown oyster will filter 50 gallons of water a day. Now, multiply that by how many oysters are on the bottom. So the more we cultivate, the more oysters that can be produced. We'll filter more water. That’s going to increase the water quality of Long Island Sound.”

Norrholm is an early adopter of the Shellfish Restoration Program, acknowledging benefits to the oysters….and the future of his business.

Robert Norrholm, Owner, Belle Shellfish: “So the process, you know, and how, how we work is we're doing it in a way where we're not gouging the bottom or harming the bottom. We're just scraping along the top. And that's going to be enough to remove the silt. Once we get the oysters there, it's going to it's going to help the industry in a long way because they have an area where they can go catch oysters to plant on their own grounds and put into the market. So the small industry guys that are able to do it, they're going to benefit from it years from now.”

Norrholm’s passion for shellfishing has deep roots. He relies on a long established family history and personal experience to help him pay it forward, helping to keep the industry alive for future generations.

Robert Norrholm, Owner, Belle Shellfish: “My grandfather is still my teacher and he is still going to teach me until he decides to retire, which I don't see coming any time soon. His idea was to get this natural bed cleaned up, get it cultivated and the silt removed, and that way more oysters can grow because that's what he wants to see. 

For Market to Market, I’m John Torpy.

contact: MarkettoMarket@IowaPBS.org