Aquaculture, Oysters Focus of Task Force Convened by First District Legislators

WILDWOOD – Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak (both D-1st) held a meeting of the First Legislative District Economic Development Task Force at Wildwoods Convention Center Aug. 27.
The focus of the meeting was on growing the aquaculture industry in the state which would have a disproportionately positive impact on the South Jersey communities along the Delaware Bay.
The simplest definition of aquaculture is “farming aquatic organisms” according to Lisa Calvo an aquaculture specialist from Rutgers University, one of the presenters to the task force.
This seems like a natural economic niche for the state given its coastal environment and central location near large consumer markets. Yet the state has lagged far behind competitors even as the market for aquaculture products booms.
While aquaculture can involve a large number of species, in New Jersey it does not take long for discussion to focus on oysters. 
Oysters were once a mainstay of the economy along Delaware Bay. The direct economic value of the aquatic product is only a part of the overall benefit from aquaculture since aqua-farming impacts a number of “downstream” industries like food processing, transportation, foodservice, and even indirect industries like packaging.
In New Jersey a series of factors led to a significant drop off in oyster farming after the mid-1950s. Only recently have advances in oyster research and the tremendous growth in consumer demand resulted in the beginnings of a return to earlier levels of oyster production.
Michael De Luca and David Bushek, both of Rutgers, discussed what they called an “oyster renaissance” characterized by new food movements among younger consumers, an emphasis on sustainability in the food supply, and clear branding. 
Yet the area’s competitors seem better positioned to reap the benefits of this renaissance. One statistic told a great deal. According to Rutgers data, in 2014 New Jersey sold 1.5 million oysters while Virginia sold 39.8 million.
What gives Virginia and its Chesapeake Bay environs so much of a lead over New Jersey and the Delaware Bay? One factor is the complicated process for gaining licenses in New Jersey. 
Van Drew and Andrzejczak cite the fact that 11 state agencies get involved in the licensing process. As Andrzejczak notes “Some of them would approve of certain aspects of a project while others would reject the same project.”
Hoping to provide a more streamlined process that will help the industry grow, the two legislators talked of a bill they will introduce in Trenton. 
If passed, the Department of Agriculture would become the lead agency in the process, working closely with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The bill calls for an “aquaculture-permitting review program to provide for the coordinated review of any aquaculture project.” 
The emphasis is on the word coordinated with Van Drew calling it a one-stop-shopping model.
Another bill would designate the same level of coordination on the part of the state with the Army Corps of Engineers gaining necessary federal approvals for a project.
The task force also heard from actual aqua-farmers, Elizabeth “Betsy” Haskin, owner of Betsey’s Cape Shore Salts, and Brian Harmon, husbandry manager at Atlantic Capes Fisheries. Haskin’s story shows the interconnected nature of the agriculture industry.
In the 1950s the oyster industry in the state went into deep decline because of the overfishing, habitat destruction, and parasites. 
Now Haskin grows oysters for her business, Cape Shore Salts, but does so in a way that utilizes the resources of the state’s flagship university. She does so through the New Jersey Aquaculture Innovation Center and an affiliated lab named after her father, Dr. Harold Haskin, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory.
With these kinds of resources available in the state, New Jersey should be able to capitalize on its position and significantly grow its aquaculture industry. That will take more than just a coordinated licensing process, although such a step is welcome.
Concerns and challenges extend to poor water quality in protected areas which limits development of nursery beds, limited available grow-out areas particularly near shore, and even the recent designation of the red knot as an endangered species which could lead to further conditions on federal permits for oyster farmers.
What is also needed is a stronger state mandate to promote shellfish aquaculture with the many things that would be associated with such a mandate in terms of financial and tax incentives, marketing assistance, related educational programs, and continued support for technology development and transfer.
An integrated permitting process is a step in the right direction, but the task force heard that much needs to be done if New Jersey is to regain its position of prominence in the industry. The benefits to an area of the state in need of economic development would be significant.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.