Restoring & Protecting the NC Coast

     Since the early 1900’s, North Carolina’s Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) population has declined an estimated 90 percent due to of a variety factors – habitat loss, pollution, diseases, and harvest pressure. So, why should we care? Because, believe it or not, our native oysters are one of the most important species of our estuaries.
     Because of their role as a keystone species in the estuary environment, the health of the oyster population can be considered a reflection of the health of the ecosystem. With the loss of oysters and oyster habitat, other aquatic species have become stressed as well. If we can restore and protect the native oyster population, our coast will be healthy too.
     Recognizing this, the North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF) is coordinating the Oyster Restoration and Protection Action Plan: A Blueprint  For Action. The Blueprint arose from a February 2003 Oyster Forum held at NCCF’s Shorekeeper Learning Center. The forum involved 50 invited participants representing a broad spectrum of interests, including scientists, fishermen, policymakers and educators. There was broad agreement by participants on a number of actions that are needed to protect and restore native oysters in North Carolina. Those actions, ranging from new and innovative to on-going initiatives that need more support, were drafted into the Blueprint.
     This five-year Blueprint outlines a series of goals, objectives and specific actions that need to be implemented to fully protect and restore oyster habitat and shellfish waters. The Blueprint’s actions include:

• increasing public awareness and participation;
• marketing a sustainable oyster fishery; and,
• protecting water quality and restoring oyster habitat. 

     The Blueprint is supported and guided by the Oyster Plan Steering Committee whose members are listed at the end of the document. Significant progress is being made on a number of these actions. Progress reports and updates to the Blueprint occurred at the 2004 Encore for Oysters Conference and 2005 Oyster Summit.

Listen to the Public Radio East interview with Ted Wilgis, Cape Fear COASTKEEPER® on the Oyster Plan.

The Blueprint’s Overarching Goals:

• Restore and protect North Carolina’s native oyster populations, and habitat so that estuaries are again robust, diverse, and resilient ecosystems.
• Build broad public awareness and support for the value of estuarine conservation and sustainable fisheries.
• Work with a strong coalition to make significant, demonstrable and meaningful progress towards oyster restoration in the next five years. 

Blueprint’s Focus Areas:

• Hold Public Forums on Oysters:  Public forums, such as the Encore for Oysters in 2004, educate and involve the public on the importance of restoring and protecting oysters. Public support is critical to gain political support for restoring and protecting oysters.
• Develop Short-Term Objectives for Priority Shellfish Waters and Watersheds:  Workgroups are active in the northern, central and southern coastal regions developing strategies to protect and restore oysters and water quality in priority shellfish waters and watersheds. 
• Increase Oyster Restoration Projects: NC could double its oyster restoration activities through strategies including: increasing the resources available to the Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) Shellfish Rehabilitation Program; increasing the amount of oyster research; supporting a State operated oyster hatchery; and designating more oyster sanctuaries. 
• Increase Public Awareness and Participation in the Conservation and Restoration of Oysters: Providing increased opportunities and guidelines for citizen participation in restoration activities through initiatives like oyster shell recycling, oyster gardening, and oyster restoration projects is underway.
• Develop and market a sustainable native oyster fishery:  The Blueprint calls for involving oyster growers and harvesters in oyster restoration and protection efforts, and increasing mariculture opportunities to support an ecologically sustainable NC oyster industry.
• Secure Funds to Restore and Protect Shellfish Waters:  Funding is a critical to carrying out this comprehensive Oyster Restoration and Protection Plan. The Blueprint identifies land acquisition; cleaning up existing sources of point and non-point source pollution in shellfish waters and watersheds as a few strategies needing priority funding.
• Improve Water Quality Rules and Enforcement:  Improving the Department of the Environment and Natural Resource’s (DENR) enforcement mechanism by expanding funding to hire regulatory permit and enforcement staff; implementing effective stormwater rules and Coastal Area Management Act Land Use Plans; removing stormwater discharges; and expanding the Department of Environmental Health’s sanitary shoreline surveys are all examples of necessary steps for implementing the Blueprint.
• Link Oyster Restoration and Protection Plan activities to Ongoing Planning Efforts:  The effort to restore oysters and oyster habitat must be linked to the many ongoing planning efforts in DENR. Of particular importance is a linkage with the One North Carolina Naturally Plan that will set priorities for land conservation and restoration throughout the state. Additional linkages will be made with the NC Wetlands Restoration Plans, Coastal Habitat Protection Plans, and Basinwide Water Quality Plans, among others.

     The Oyster Restoration and Protection Plan is a bold effort. It will bring together and coordinate the activities and resources of private and public efforts to bring backs oysters in North Carolina. Oysters are a bellwether for the health of coastal ecosystems. If we can restore and protect oysters, our coast will be healthy too.

Oyster Restoration & Protection Plan (2007 Update)