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Wednesday, August 13, 2008 10:44 AM Don't toss that oyster shell; it's recyclable By Matt Shaw | Times Staff Writer Wilson County seafood lovers are helping to restore North Carolina's oyster beds by returning used shells to coastal waters, a state official said Tuesday. But even more participation is needed for the recycling program if future generations are to dine on locally grown mollusks. Program coordinator Sabrina Varnam came to Wilson Tuesday to recognize the county's two recycling sites -- Silver Lake Oyster Bar, which recycles the shells it uses, and the Wilson County landfill, which is open for public recycling of the shells. The shells are taken to the coast and used to build new reefs, which serve as homes for new oyster beds. Baby oysters start as free-floating organisms, but they settle to the bottom and need to attach to a hard surface, such as oyster shells. If shells are never returned to the water, new beds cannot develop. Oysters are also a food source for birds and fish and serve as nature's water filters. They clean pollutants from the water. Oyster reefs also provide habitat for baby fish and other marine life. "If you keep taking away and you don't give back, you won't have anything," Varnam said. The majority of N.C. restaurants sell oysters from the Gulf Coast, she said. But Varnam said it is hoped that the recycling program will restore beds enough that N.C. oysters will become a more viable market. Recycling only its customers' shells, Silver Lake has contributed more than 1,400 bushels since 2006. Owner Patrick Mitchell said the program is not any trouble once employees learn to separate the shells out. "It's no worse than keeping beer bottles out of the trash," he said. The county has also had a drop-off site at the landfill since 2004 where anyone can take their shells. It typically has averaged between 20-60 bushels of shells a year, said Dayle O'Ham, the county's operations manager. The county would collect more shells if people were more aware that it's illegal to put oyster shells in the landfill, said landfill supervisor Andy Davis. The state program collected 17,483 bushels in 2006 and then 32,444 bushels in 2007. The N.C. General Assembly has passed a tax incentive for businesses or individuals that recycle oyster shells. It equals $1 per bushel. For more information about the program, go to www.ncdmf.net. mshaw@wilsontimes.com | 265-7878 |
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