News
- The oysters being removed are much smaller than commercially grown oysters. Photo by Scott Longfield
Baykeeper Forced To End Oyster Project
NJDEP ordered removal of oysters
due to fears of poaching
By John Burton
KEYPORT - Grudgingly, quite grudgingly to the point that their teeth were figuratively gritted, the NY/NJ Baykeeper this week complied with a state Department of Environmental Protection policy and removed the oysters from the Keyport Harbor.
"We don't have an alternative but to comply," said NY/NJ Baykeeper Executive Director Deborah Mans, at a press conference at the Keyport waterfront on Monday, the day the group planned to remove the oysters.
The oysters were part of an ongoing scientific project to reintroduce the shellfish to the area, as a means of cleaning contaminated waterways.
Addressing those who attended the press conference, Mans noted that researchers were "just beginning to compile important information."
"Today is a very sad day for NY/NJ Baykeeper, Raritan Bay and the citizens of New Jersey," Mans said of the removal of the oysters.
NY/NJ Baykeepers, an environmental organization whose mission is to improve and protect the waters of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary, has for about the last decade been working to re-establish the presence of oysters in area waters for the purpose of scientific study.
But on June 7 the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced it was banning research-related gardening of commercial shellfish species in coastal and inner harbor waters that were classified as contaminated and ordered the removal of the those fish that were currently being grown in those waters.
Lawrence Ragonese, press information director for the DEP, explained Wednesday that the order, issued by Commissioner Bob Martin two months ago, was intended, "to simply protect the public health," and, "to protect the economic health of the state's shellfish industry," a $790 million annual industry.
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA), in Washington, D.C. was holding state officials' feet to the fire, Ragonese charged, because New Jersey was continually found to not be in compliance with federal National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements for patrolling shellfish beds to prevent the poaching of oysters or other shellfish that are commercially raised from these waters.
The motive behind the FDA regulations is to prevent shellfish from contaminated waters from being harvested commercial and ending up on people's plates.
Facing extreme state financial constraints, the DEP budget, "quite frankly, didn't have the resources," this year to beef up the patrols under the federal guidelines, requiring certain strenuous qualifications by the officers.
Failing to comply with the federal orders could have meant sanctions against the state, including the possible shutdown of the state's shellfish industry, according to Ragonese.
According to Mans, the baykeeper had tried to reach an accommodation with the DEP, but all of its suggestions "have been rebuffed."
Ragonese told The Two River Times that the DEP has been willing to work with the baykeeper and even recommended that the shellfish be relocated to the Maurice River, a tributary of the Delaware Bay in South Jersey. But Mans said the group's obligation requires it to do the work in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary.
The waters do contain contaminants, Mans acknowledged, attributing it to storm water runoff. Mans also noted she was unaware of any instances of poaching going on at this site, adding that most of the oysters would be undersized for sale as commercial seafood. But Ragonese countered that, "People do poach oysters." Last year, he said, there were 60 arrests for poaching in New Jersey waters.
The reef established in the Keyport waters had about 50,000 oysters, which were planted for the purpose of cleaning the water via the oysters' natural filtration system. The project has been providing valuable scientific data; and without a viable alternative site, "We are forced to kill thousands of oysters," Mans warned.
The group had been talking about relocating the shellfish to Earle Naval Weapon Station, off of its loading pier in the Leonardo section of Middletown. But as of Wednesday, U.S. Navy representatives were not interested in participating in the project at this time, said Meredith Comi, the baykeeper's oyster program director.
The organization had received an offer from Highlands Mayor Anna Little to use some property she owns with riparian rights that might work. The organization is looking into that location, Comi said.
But in the interim, at least until this Thursday, many of the oysters have been stored at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility at Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook, Middletown, Comi said.
If no suitable location is found by Thursday afternoon, baykeeper will have to dispose of the oysters, Comi said.
State Assemblywoman Joan M. Voss (D-38), who represents Bergen County, said at the press conference there were bills in committee in the Assembly and Senate that would allow future use of commercially grown shellfish for scientific research, thus preventing a reoccurrence, because, "I think they'll be irrevocable damage if these oyster beds are taken up."
