Massachusetts Oyster Project Launches Summer 2021 Oyster Shell Recycling Program in Wellfleet
Eight restaurants will join the program, with funding support from 11th Hour Racing
As summer approaches and Massachusetts residents head to the Cape to eat out and enjoy oysters, the leftover shells won’t end up in a landfill. The Massachusetts Oyster Project, working with the Town of Wellfleet, is running an oyster shell recycling program involving eight local restaurants.
The program will run from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Restaurants will divert oyster shells from their regular trash to special containers. Massachusetts Oyster Project staff and volunteers will collect those containers four times per week, dumping them in a special oyster shell collection site managed by the Town of Wellfleet’s Shellfish Department and Transfer Station. After the shells are aged for a year, the town will spread the shells around Wellfleet Harbor to create juvenile oyster habitat.
“We’re excited to launch this program, which is a key part of our mission to restore the beaches and shores of Massachusetts,” said Sarah Valencik, President of the Massachusetts Oyster Project. “We are working with local partners to keep oyster shells out of landfills. At the end of the day, these shells will help build reefs along the shores of Cape Cod.”
Eight local Wellfleet restaurants have signed on for the pilot, including:
The Beachcomber, https://www.thebeachcomber.com/
Pearl, https://wellfleetpearl.com/
Mac's Seafood Shack, https://www.macsseafood.com/restaurants/macs-shack
Winslow's Tavern, https://www.winslowstavern.com/
The Wicked Oyster, https://thewickedo.com/
Moby Dick's, https://mobys.com/
CShore, https://cshorewellfleet.com/
Van Rensselaer's, https://www.vanrensselaers.com/about
The program is funded through 11th Hour Racing’s Ambassador project, led by a community of marine industry professionals committed to ocean health.
"I am really looking forward to working with the Massachusetts Oyster Project on the Shell Recycling Program this summer. It will directly improve the local water quality and ecosystem and support restaurants at a difficult time, considering the pandemic. As an 11th Hour Racing Ambassador, I am happy to support and highlight sustainable practices in coastal communities," noted Cory Silken, 11th Hour Racing Ambassador.
Wild oysters grow naturally in clusters and the best surface for baby oysters, called spat, to grow on is other oyster shells. By depositing oyster shells in intertidal areas of Wellfleet Harbor, we create a favorable environment on which spat can settle and grow. It can take about three years for a wild oyster to reach the legal harvest size of three inches, and these rows of shell and clusters of growing oysters often take the form of a low profile reef.
Oyster reefs were once the bedrock of the Massachusetts coastline. Each oyster can purify up to 50 gallons of water per day. Reefs provide homes for other marine species, increasing biodiversity. When reefs grow large enough, they can serve as protective barriers for shorelines. They protect from the powerful waves generated by storms and natural weathering processes.
Oysters also contribute to the Wellfleet economy and culture. In 2019, Wellfleet was first in the state for the value of its oyster landings (wholesale sales), and shellfishing is the biggest year-round industry for the town, representing more than $7.7M in local income and providing jobs for 10 percent of its residents.
“Wellfleet is blessed with significant, consistent, wild natural reproduction of oysters; it’s what makes this place so special,” says Nancy Civetta, Shellfish Constable for the town. “This partnership allows us to capture some of the shell that is harvested here and get it back in the water to provide nursery services to keep our shellfishery growing sustainably into the future. It doesn’t cost us a penny, and the oysters that will grow there will put money in our shellfishermen’s pockets when they’re harvested. In addition, in the age of selectively bred hatchery seed for oyster farms, it is also important for us to keep the wild strain of oysters going in the harbor. We are so grateful for this opportunity!”
The Massachusetts Oyster Project is an all-volunteer non-profit working to strengthen our coastal environment by restoring native shellfish populations to our beaches and coastal estuaries. Through oyster cultivation, shell recycling, education and advocacy we can improve water quality, increase the diversity of sea life and mitigate the effects of climate change.
11th Hour Racing establishes strategic partnerships within the sailing and maritime communities to promote collaborative, systemic change benefitting the health of our ocean – one degree at a time. Since 2010, 11th Hour Racing has been harnessing the power of sport with an innovative and comprehensive approach through three primary areas of engagement: sponsorships, grantees, and ambassadors. For more information please visit www.11thhourracing.org