A federal grant will help recover and strengthen the state’s shellfish industry, which suffered immensely during the pandemic, according to the University of Connecticut Sea Grant program.
The National Sea Grant program awarded the Connecticut Sea Grant $196,990 for a project to develop sustainable shellfish bed management, the school announced Thursday.
The project, called “Resilience through Restoration: Developing a Sustainable Shellfish Bed Management Strategy to Support Connecticut’s Shellfish Sector,” is building on a three-phase restoration effort for the state’s natural clam and oyster beds. The original project was launched in the first weeks of the pandemic lockdown in 2020, the university said.
Connecticut has more than 3,500 acres of natural shellfish beds, mainly in central and western Long Island Sound. The state’s shellfish industry typically brings in about $30 million annually. However, restaurant closures during the pandemic led to a 93 percent decline in shellfish sales, the university said.
“These beds are critical to the industry as a main source of affordable seed for local farms,” the university said in a press release. “The program was essential to sustaining the state’s shellfish industry through the worst of the pandemic.”
This new funding will give shellfish companies the opportunity to work on restoring natural shellfish beds. The project is also funding scientific studies to evaluate the success of these projects to inform long-term management strategies.
“It’s a real win-win that we have opportunity to realize both economic and environmental benefits,” said Tessa Getchis, the Connecticut Sea Grant aquaculture extension specialist who is leading the project.
Specialists will also be assessing the feasibility of a shell recycling program. Since oyster shells are the key building blocks for natural beds, but in short supply, the project would help develop a strategy where restaurants and other food service businesses reclaim shells and return them to the shellfish beds, the university said.
“Together the restoration and shell recycling projects will strengthen the commercial shellfish industry to be more resilient in the future,” the university said in a press release.
The Connecticut Sea Grant was one of 13 grants, totaling $3.5 million, awarded for nationwide efforts to support sustainable growth in the U.S. seafood industry. Some of these projects, including the Connecticut Sea Grant project, will address the pandemic’s impact to seafood resources, while other projects will focus on improving coordination for marine aquaculture development.
liz.hardaway@hearst.com
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