OYSTER FARMING IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Coastal Science Serving South Carolina

Jump-Starting an When disease concerns shut down the out-of-state supply of seed for South Carolina’s newly-created farming industry in 2014, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium provided technical assistance for the establishment of a hatchery at Lady’s Island Oyster near Beaufort.

This hatchery now supplies much of the oyster production seeds in the state, which reduces supply chain vulnerabilities and lowers the risk of importing diseases.

Image: The seed oyster hatchery tank system at Lady’s Island Oyster.

The Oyster 1.2 mil The amount of of farmed oysters in Farming Boom 870k the state grew from 139,178 in 2014 854k to over 1.2 million in 2019, according Chart: Total Oysters Farmed to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. 341k In 2020, production dropped slightly 167k 188k 139k due to restaurants closing during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Helping Farmers Learn the Ropes The Consortium helped new oyster farmers with best management practices for setting up and managing growing operations in tidal creeks.

Additionally, the Consortium compiled various resources to assist new farmers, including developing business planning spreadsheet tools and working with the USDA Farm Service Industry to increase Image: Oyster farmers pulling floating oyster cages payout rates for South Carolina oysters from a tidal creek. under their Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

An Estimated 10 Billion Gallons of Clean Water in 2020 In addition to the creation of a single oyster market, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s effort contributed to the water quality in the state’s tidal creeks. As filter feeders, oysters naturally clean organic and inorganic particles from water that flows over their gills.

If the South Carolina industry produced 1,303,819 oysters in 2020, which stayed in the water about 1 year, it is estimated that this crop provided the public benefit of cleaning 10 billion gallons of water in the state’s tidal creeks and .

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s Continuing Efforts

Providing ID tags for all Developing the firstState Leading COVID-related Developing research to floating cages permitted of the Industry report response projects to increase understand the social for S.C. waters, which for growing, shellfish growers’ capacity carrying capacity of shellfish reduces the risk of gear along with research to to use direct marketing , so that loss and marine debris. understand consumer methods to decrease the development is compatible preferences. industry’s vulnerabilities to with coastal stakeholder the supply chain. priorities.

S.C. Sea Grant Consortium: www.scseagrant.org/living-marine-resources-program SCSGC-H-21-01