Rep. Jeff Jones to Introduce Legislation to Allow for Oyster Farming in Georgia (live)

[Airforceguy]

“In the past couple of months, an incredible amount of progress has been made to change Georgia’s rules and regulations to allow oyster farming in Georgia and grow a commercially viable and profitable oyster industry,” said Rep. Jones. “By allowing and supporting oyster farming in Georgia, our state has the potential to create a multi-million dollar Georgia Grown oyster industry in a few short years. It’s exciting to be a part of this private sector, commercial oyster industry effort.”

Rep. Jeff Jones to Introduce Legislation to Allow for Oyster Farming in Georgia - Augusta CEO

[Iconographer]

Considering that the Florida oyster industry is currently devastated, the timing is impeccable.

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/12/65702...a-serious-blow

Payback for the Water Wars.

[JayHey]

Glad to see UGA Marine Ext. involved. As long as commercial oystering is well-regulated and implements best management practices designed to protect the benthos are adopted, it will be a great aquaculture to start.

[green_mariner]

Oyster farming wasn't allowed in Georgia? Huh?

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

Oyster farming wasn't allowed in Georgia? Huh?

That is interesting. Didn't know oyster farming required state permitting. Does shrimping or commercial fishing? Hey, Icon, you've got roots on the Georgia coast. Any wisdom on this?

[Newsboy]

I thought oystering was already commonplace on the ga coast

[JayHey]

Not really commonplace at all. There's a handful (per the article, 10) who still fish the bottoms for wild oyster, but Georgia's once nationally leading oyster beds were depleted and by the 1950s were all but gone.

Commercial shrimping and fishing are both licensed by the state and just like recreational fishermen, licenses have to bought each year.

Oyster farming is completely different than fishing wild oysters, it involves basically hand planting the baby oysters in baskets and tending to the lines a couple times a month. And then in 2 or 3 years a full grown oyster is ready for market.

Federal law requires that aquaculture follows set law from each state, and since Georgia's historic oyster fishery was so completely devastated, up until the past few years the interest, politically, economically, and environmentally just wasn't there to put it in code.

A bunch of different organizations, led by UGA, have put together a roadmap to a tenable oyster aquaculture industry and now the state will move forward and within a few years you'll be able to order "Eastern oyster (Georgia)" off the menu at your favorite raw bar.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by JayHey

Not really commonplace at all. There's a handful (per the article, 10) who still fish the bottoms for wild oyster, but Georgia's once nationally leading oyster beds were depleted and by the 1950s were all but gone.

Commercial shrimping and fishing are both licensed by the state and just like recreational fishermen, licenses have to bought each year.

Oyster farming is completely different than fishing wild oysters, it involves basically hand planting the baby oysters in baskets and tending to the lines a couple times a month. And then in 2 or 3 years a full grown oyster is ready for market.

Federal law requires that aquaculture follows set law from each state, and since Georgia's historic oyster fishery was so completely devastated, up until the past few years the interest, politically, economically, and environmentally just wasn't there to put it in code.

A bunch of different organizations, led by UGA, have put together a roadmap to a tenable oyster aquaculture industry and now the state will move forward and within a few years you'll be able to order "Eastern oyster (Georgia)" off the menu at your favorite raw bar.

Thank you!!!

[Newsboy]

Wow. Didn’t know. And i live there.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by JayHey

A bunch of different organizations, led by UGA, have put together a roadmap to a tenable oyster aquaculture industry and now the state will move forward and within a few years you'll be able to order "Eastern oyster (Georgia)" off the menu at your favorite raw bar.

An oyster that, while smaller than the Apalachicola oyster, surpasses it in texture and flavor IMO.
You can thank the gamy aromas of the Georgia tidal estuaries for that.