There were no oyster farms in Texas until four years ago, when a local man made it his mission to find a way to produce delicious oysters while protecting the ecosystem.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There were no oyster farms in Texas until four years ago, when a local man made it his mission to find a way to produce delicious oysters while protecting the ecosystem.
From purifying water to providing habitat for other animals to preventing ocean floor erosion, oysters are essential to the Texas coastal ecosystem.
Brad Lomax understands the importance of Coastal Bend oysters, which is why he founded Texas Oyster Ranch in Copano Bay. His oyster farm was the first to be licensed in Texas, paving the way for oyster conservation along the Texas coast.
“Oyster dredging is a destructive form of commercial fishing, and by dredging oysters you are destroying not only the animals but also their habitat,” Lomax said.
Lomax said making this alternative oyster harvesting method available in Texas is the result of a team effort of several people, including Texas Congressman Todd Hunter, the HARTE Institute, and other local businesses. said.
According to HARTE, Texas is the last coastal state where oyster farming is not allowed. That was until the Texas Legislature passed a law in 2019 that allows the use of new oyster farming methods instead of dredging oysters from natural oyster reefs. There are now 11 licensed oyster farms across the Texas coast, making a positive impact on one oyster at a time.
“We have 10 more in the permitting process, so we’ll probably have 20 oyster farms by the end of 2025 or 2026,” Lomax said.
Bill and Amelia Strieber, owners of Clearwater Oyster Gardens in Texas, just harvested their first oysters in Aransas Bay. They said they were happy to be involved in the conservation effort as Lomax had guided them from the beginning.
“The oysters are produced in a hatchery and placed in floating pens, so the oysters actually grow at the top of the water column with plenty of sunlight and good nutrients,” Bill said. “We have a way to meet market demand in a way that doesn’t harm the environment or the ecosystem. And those are good oysters. They have much better flavor than naturally harvested oysters. ”
Texas has the second largest commercial oyster harvest in the country, but its oyster ecosystem is in decline. That’s why the Stryvers are actively working to be part of the solution.
“That means historically 85 to 90 percent of the wild oyster stock has been depleted. Whether it’s due to harvesting, hurricane impacts or other causes, the situation is getting worse.” said Bill. There are very few. ”
Amelia said that while oyster farming is hard work, it is also rewarding to know that she is having a positive impact on the environment.
“There’s a saying: ‘Leave the world a little better than you found it,'” Amelia said. “When you think about this, it feels like we could leave this small section a little better to create a cleaner water system where we’re not digging oyster reefs.”
Part of the oyster conservation effort is HARTE’s Sink Your Shucks program, in which several restaurants participate.
“The Sink Your Shucks program collects used shells and puts them back into the water, creating new oyster reefs. This means that not only does oyster farming not destroy natural oyster reefs, our process creates new reefs. “We create it,” Bill said.
Recently, Lomax was appointed by Texas Governor Abbott to serve on the Commercial Oyster Aquaculture Advisory Council, which advises state agencies regarding the oyster industry.
“It’s very exciting and an honor to have the governor take an interest in what we’re doing and put together a group to help move it forward,” Lomax said. “We have a long way to go in this industry, and this group of scientists, entrepreneurs, and politicians will help us craft policies that will enable our industry to grow.”
Lomax said restoring the coastal environment is important and while oyster farming is making a difference, it could be years before the environmental impacts are felt.
“We have to do something. This is a community effort and we’re proud of it and we love where we live,” Lomax said. spoke.
