On April 9 this year, the first farm-raised oysters were harvested for commercial sale in Mississippi from the Deer Island Oyster Park just south of Biloxi.
There are 13 private farms operating on 25 acres using off-bottom cultivation techniques that the owners learned last summer as part of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Oyster Farming Fundamentals course which is a RESTORE Act Project.
Led by Jason Rider and Dale Diaz of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the free 15-hour course provided potential oyster farmers in Mississippi a foundation of knowledge to start their oyster farming operation.
Dr. Bill Walton, an extension specialist with Alabama Cooperative Extension System and director at the Auburn University Shellfish Lab, assisted in covering all the critical areas of commercial oyster farming.
Topics in the course included oyster biology, hatchery basics, nursery options, seed handling, farm site selection, overview of off-bottom culture gear, methods to control fouling, splitting and grading, business planning, risk management, permitting, public health considerations and marketing.
Once the classroom portion of the program was completed, the students were eligible to receive approximately 12,000 oyster seed to raise in the training area of the park up to market size.
Upon completion of the field training they were eligible to move to a private lease for commercial use within the park.
In March of this year, a second class of 25 students began the classroom portion of the program and are now waiting to receive seed to complete the field training requirements to be eligible for a plot in the park as well.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is in the process of permitting an additional 132 acres to expand the site. I assist participants with completing a business plan and budget, which is also a requirement for completing the course.
Unfortunately, the heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding has caused very high mortality to the oysters due to extended low salinity because of fresh water entering the Gulf.
Meet the author
Russell "Rusty" Grice
Oyster Aquaculture Business Specialist
Rusty joined Sea Grant in 2016. He helps oyster farmers navigate requirements for starting farms, and he helps streamline the harvest reporting process for existing farms. His focus is on... Read more
Phone: 251-229-0826
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