Bringing more oysters to the Coast

Biloxi was once referred to as the ‘seafood capital of the world.’ Although those days are behind us, city officials and fishermen are now working together to bring back more marine life to the Mississippi Sound.

When you think of farms, fruits and vegetables might come to mind, but what about oysters? A new program at Deer Island in Biloxi is taking farming to new levels by growing oysters. Double D Oyster Company President/Owner Doug Ankersen said, “The industry is still in its infancy, but it really is starting to take hold and really start to take off.”

The oysters are grown at the surface of the water instead of at the bottom. This program is funded by the Restore Act and it trains people how to grow oysters in the ‘off bottom’ method. Oyster Extension Agent Jason Ryder said, “This is different than coming out with tongs or dredge because the oysters are contained in baskets or cages and it allows the farmers to cultivate the oysters more frequently and take care of them and charge a premium product.”

News 25 had the chance to follow along in a boat for the first oyster harvest of the season. The oyster seeds that were pulled out on Tuesday had been in the water for around eight months. “This is the first program that Mississippi has put together. The training program, the first class, started about a year ago.”

There is an oyster farm and they are oyster harvesting in the Mississippi Sound. Right now, they are putting in new oyster seeds and taking out the old ones that will end up on your plate in Biloxi. “This is a farm-to-table type of situation where the restaurants or retail stores can show exactly where they came from, highlight the tastes of that area, and why it is unique to our local region.”

Than Nguyen was the first farmer to harvest his oysters and he says they had about 30,000 oysters which he is very pleased with. “It is a big success, a big success.”

Thirteen people from the first off-bottom oyster class will receive leases for oyster farms.