oyshell.jpg (18819 bytes) Shellfish Gardeners oyshell.jpg (18819 bytes)
of North Carolina  

Q.     The permit calls for a sign. What should be on it?

A.     Required signage:   Craig Hardy at the Department of Marine Fisheries has approved this wording: 

PRIVATE PROPERTY

Containers  and  Contents  are  part  of  the

Under Dock Oyster Culture (UDOC) program

of the NC Dept. Marine Fisheries

PERMIT#: ______________ NAME: _________________________    

www.oysters-cleanwater.info

Mr. Hardy suggests at least two signs, and maybe four if it is a long dock. He sees them close to the water, on pilings, on the shore end and water end. He sees them at least 11 inches by 11 inches. (That is not covered by law.)

The text is too many words for a stencil but the words could be painted on a piece of marine plywood.

We suggest:

For $10.00 each -11x11 aluminum base with rounded corners and a decal special decal with the approved text. Screw to pilings.

For $6.00 each - cut a marine plywood board, paint white (oil base paint) and affix a decal with approved text. (Actually you don't save much and will have to replace sooner than the aluminum based.)

Q.     The permit calls for a severe weather plan. What is  that?

A.     Severe Weather Plan

You must file a storm plan with your application for an under-dock oyster permit.

There are as many severe weather plans as there are docks and the storm plan will change with the nature of the storm. Each one of us will have to assess the storm risk in the area where we live. This is especially true of prolonged winter storms. 

Bottom line is that we do not want rafts of oysters ripped away from docks and floating free in a storm. How would you like to hit one with your boat, or worse, a water skier?  Besides, you invested all that time and money in your oysters and should protect them. 

One solution is to remove the bags prior to the high water. They can survive many days if not in the direct sun. Fresh water will keep them closed and evaporation will cool them. 

Richard Seale points out that oysters are essentially rocks and they live on the bottom, naturally.

Jim Swartzenberg removes the floats and lets them sink. Seale has used a cage which looks like a crab pot. Dump oysters in, attach a 15 foot rope with 5 feet of chain and a mushroom anchor. He adds a SMALL float on 20 feet of 50# mono line just in case they move.  

A reasonable plan would probably cover several contingencies. If bags are light and I can get into the water to get them, I will follow Plan A. If bags are heavy, Plan B.  

We cannot offer a set response to the "Severe Weather Plan" requirement, but we certainly agree that it is something which should be considered before the storm hits. Bags of oysters, floating free after a storm, could be a serious problem to all of us. That is the bottom line.

 EXAMPLE:     Severe Weather Plan

I will work with a neighbor when a storm warning is posted.

1. Small lighter containers will be removed to dry land, shaded and kept cool.

2. Flotation will be removed from larger containers, The containers will be dropped to the bottom. Each container will be secured to two pilings with line.

3. I keep oysters in the water at low tide when it is very cold. They are not wind-swept so there should be no loss due to cold temperatures.  

Q.     Why can't I grow oysters in water that is not clean.

Right! If oysters clean water, we should be growing them in polluted waters. Nelson Bay in Onslow County is a beautiful example of using oysters to clean polluted waters.

A.     You CAN grow oysters in polluted or unclean or closed waters. You may NOT grow them in cages under your dock! 

The under dock garden is for human consumption. The point of the PERMIT is that dock owners may grow oysters, in the water column, and own them. You do not need to own oysters that are ONLY to clean watter and then become polluted themselves.  

People who live in closed waters should join the Shellfish Gardeners group and learn to do on bottom gardening. Then, when the waters are retested, they can apply for  a UDOC PERMIT.  

Check with gardeners near you. Tell them you want your waters to become a project for the gardeners. Ask for their help in planting reefs, collecting spat and cleaning the water.

Q.     What is the best time to set spat?

A.     Nature does it all summer. But the little spat grow in the winter. So if you set quarter inch spat on shells in December, you should be OK. Our goal, however, is to have sources prepared for several spat distributions during the summer. The source is not yet known.  We hope that commercial suppliers will replace the Community College Aquiculture source. It may be that the Aquariums will grow spat or at least eyed larvae that could be distributed.  

Q:     What will it cost me to become an oyster gardener?

A.      The Bogue Banks group got together to make their own bags. They were able to do it for $8.00 each. You need two to start but may need as many as 6 as the oysters mature. We think you can buy some kind of bag for about $10.00. The approved signs cost 5.00 each (need two minimum) and an aluminum backing is available for $4.00 each. Finally the spat. The Bogue Banks group negotiated a price of $30.00 per thousand for one- inch single oysters. We are not sure that price will hold. In August we should be able to get singles from the Community College Aquaculture Program (Skip Kemp). In the meantime....well. we can begin gathering spat in the water once it warms. (See "On Bottom Gardening" for suggestions.)

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This page was last updated on July 02, 2007