Partnerships are Key
When it comes to oysters, the Federation has led a volunteer-based, coastwide Oyster Steering Committee since 2003. This committee brings together diverse stakeholders to develop a set of common goals and actions to be realized in building back our state’s oyster resources. These priority goals and actions are the basis of the strategic: North Carolina Oyster Blueprint, currently in its fourth edition. Committee members help to prioritize and implement the agreed upon actions. By working together, projects are based in science, strategically implemented, and strive to engage a diverse group of partners. To learn more about the 2020 update to the NC Oyster Blueprint, visit our sister website, ncoysters.org here.
National Significance
Several of the priority actions in the Oyster Blueprint are recognized for complementing and supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Shellfish Initiative. To that end, in 2018, the state of North Carolina joined this national initiate as the 6th state in the country, and first in the southeast. The Shellfish Initiative recognizes the importance of partnering with shellfish farmers and shellfish restoration organizations with the goal to increase populations of bivalve shellfish in our nation’s coastal waters—including oysters, clams, and mussels—through both sustainable commercial production and restoration activities.
We invite you to learn more about the oyster steering committee, strategic oyster blueprint document or the state’s engagement with the national shellfish initiative.
Contact Erin Fleckenstein, erinf@nccoast.org , with any questions about the Oyster Steering Committee or to get involved in this coastwide effort.
How You Can Help
- Join the Federation and support oyster restoration efforts.
- Recycle your oyster shells and ask your favorite restaurants to do so, too.
- Adopt an Oyster to provide support for new reef-building activities.
- Encourage your local government to take actions to prevent stormwater runoff, the biggest polluter of coastal waters.
- Volunteer on a community-based restoration project.
- Become a shell recycling volunteer on the Outer Banks through our Restaurant to Reef program.