Oyster Summit Set for March 10 to 11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Rhett Register, 919-515-1092, rregister@ncsu.edu

Posted Friday, January 23, 2015

North Carolina Sea Grant is co-hosting this event with the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership and the North Carolina Coastal Federation.

Register now for the North Carolina Oyster Summit, titled Promoting a Healthy Coastal Environment and Economy, on March 10 and 11 at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

Hosted by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, the North Carolina Coastal Federation and North Carolina Sea Grant, the summit is open to anyone working with or interested in oysters. Elected officials, economic developers, fishers, educators, scientists, resource managers, and shellfish growers involved in establishing public policy, research, monitoring, managing, growing, and harvesting oysters in North Carolina are encouraged to attend.

Since 2003, a diverse group of stakeholders, including North Carolina Sea Grant, has worked collaboratively to link strategies and to develop targeted initiatives related to increasing the state’s oyster population. “This collaboration has resulted in funding increases for oyster-related protection and restoration programs that are about 10 times higher than what they were in 2003,” says North Carolina Sea Grant fisheries specialist Sara Mirabilio.

“Summit dialog will continue this coordination to give rise to more oyster habitat enhanced and restored, increased annual oyster harvests, and a greater number of watershed restoration projects along the coast,” she adds.

Discussion topics will include the economic and environmental aspects of oyster restoration, enhancement and production; updates to the Oyster Blueprint for Action statewide restoration plan; and prioritization of the scientific challenges associated with restoring oysters in the state.

Additional summit sponsors include The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Catch and the Campbell Foundation.

Information about registration can be found at www.ncoysters.org or contact Erin Fleckenstein at erinf@nccoast.org or 252-473-1607.

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