3609 Hwy 24 (Ocean) | Newport, North Carolina 28570

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2004

Todd Miller, executive director
252-393-8185
toddm@nccoast.org

Conference Will Focus On Troubled Oysters

     Ocean, NC - You've heard the State of the Union. Now, come hear about the State of the Oyster.
     In short: It's troubling.
     Order a peck of steamed oysters at any restaurant in North Carolina or attend any of the hundreds of oyster roasts along the coast this winter and the chances are good that the oysters came from Louisiana or Mississippi, not from Stump Sound, Rose Bay or the other legendary shellfish grounds in North Carolina.
     "Our oysters have been in trouble for some time," explained Todd Miller, the executive director of the NC Coastal Federation, "but it's reached the point that our coastal waters can no longer supply enough oysters to feed people consistently."
     The state of the state's troubled oyster will be the focus of a public conference in Morehead City March 16-17. Dozens of experts will talk about the depressed state of oyster populations, what got them there and what can be done to bring them back.
     "We hope that the conference will spark people's imaginations," Miller said. "When our oysters are back years from now, we want people to look back to those two days in Morehead as the start of the recovery."
     The Federation joined almost 30 other groups, government agencies and universities to sponsor the conference, "An Encore for Oysters," which will be held in the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City. The diversity of the co-sponsors – from the US Environmental Protection Agency to the Army Corps of Engineers, from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to the NC Department of Transportation – demonstrates the depth of the problem, Miller noted, and the broad expanse of concern.
     "Bringing our oysters back will require commitments from a wide range of people – fishermen, farmers, government officials, builders, city dwellers and suburbanites," Miller said. "The conference reflects that diversity."
     Commercial oyster catches have plummeted since the early 1900s, when landings approached 1.8 million bushels a year. Harvests have since dropped more than 97 percent since their heyday. Scientists point to a variety of reasons: habitat loss, pollution, diseases, and over-fishing.
     We're losing more than just a good meal, though. Oysters play a key role in keeping our estuaries healthy by filtering water and providing habitat for dozens of kinds of fish and shellfish. A healthy oyster population means a healthy ecosystem. "If we can restore and protect our oysters, we'll restore and protect our coast as well," Miller said.
     This conference is open to anyone who wants to learn about the state of our oysters and lend a hand in the restoration of our coast. "Really, anyone who cares about our coast is welcome," Miller said.
     Participants will learn what's happened to our oysters and why they're important. They'll discuss a controversial proposal to introduce disease-resistant Asian oysters to our water. They'll learn about what neighboring states have done to bring their oysters back and, more importantly, what's being done in North Carolina. Ordinary citizens can learn about shell-recycling programs, reef building, oyster gardening and other ways they can help to restore oyster habitat and water quality in our state's estuaries.
     Registration for the conference is $25 before March 1 and $40 afterward. The price includes a lunch and reception on the conference's opening day. To register visit the Coastal Federation website at www.nccoast.org or call the federation at 252-393-8185.

-30-

     Reporters note: Before the conference, reporters will be able to interview and film people bagging oysters for reef restorations and visit oyster reefs. One event is planned for March 6 at Hoop Pole Creek in Carteret. Others are planned for Onslow and Dare counties. Call Ted Wilgis, NCCF's Cape Fear Coastkeeper, at 910-790-3275, for more information.