Alabama begins Oyster Shell Recycling Program
Alabama begins Oyster Shell Recycling Program
The Alabama Oyster Shell Recycling Program was officially launched last month during a luncheon at the Original Oyster House. Spearheaded by the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF), the program is made possible through a two year grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The program will recycle oyster shells from restaurants back into Alabama waters, which will affect everyone from the oysterman, to the processor, to the distributors, to the restaurateurs and consumers.
The grant will help educate and train restaurant staff, educate consumers and create a sustainable program. It will also pay for oyster shell recycling bins, the drop off and pick up of the bins, and the cleaning of the bins.
It will be initiated in a phased approach, beginning with seafood restaurants on the Mobile Causeway. By spring, the program will expand into Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, according to Mark Berte, executive director of ACF.
The program will enhance the oyster population, impacting not only oysters but all the marine life that inhabit the reef.
“I actually tell folks coming down with a cold to eat oysters because it contains the most zinc than any other food,’’ said David Dekle, co-owner of the Original Oyster House. “Best of all, this program will bring attention to how important it is to get oyster shells back to their habitat.’’
Over the past three years, the state has spent around $6 million putting over 100,000 cubic yards of oyster shell on more than 1000 acres of water bottoms, according to Chris Blankenship, director of Alabama Marine Resources Division.
“Without the shells in the water, it’s hard to have a viable oyster industry here. These shells have multiple uses,’’ Blankenship said. “They can be used on the public oyster bottoms, or natural reefs, in oyster restoration projects along the coast or shoreline stabilization projects.’’
The oyster shells from restaurants will be stored on state property to season for about six months before being returned to the water.
Pictured: Chris Blankenship, director of Alabama Marine Resources Division, stands atop oyster shells that will be returned to Alabama waters.