Oysterpalooza 2014: A Resounding Success!
On
the evening of September 11th, 2014, the Coastal Conservation
Association of New Hampshire (CCANH) hosted their fourth annual Piscataqua Oysterpalooza
fundraiser. Only $5 secured your admission to the event and an extreme discount
on delicious oysters served on the half shell. All the shells from the
Oysterpalooza are collected and dried for about six months before ending up in
Great Bay to create new beds. Oysters are a key species in the Piscataqua
region, providing much needed filtration for optimal water quality in order to
promote healthy eelgrass beds and essential fish habitat.
On
the night of the event, more than 200 people showed their support of CCANH by
visiting the Redhook patio for an evening of music, libations from Redhook
Brewery, and of course, oysters! After a brief downpour, the skies cleared and
gave way to a gorgeous evening. The local band, Bowtie Bandits, set the scene
with upbeat classic folk covers, and the sound of thousands of oysters being
shucked could be heard in the background. The oysters provided came from three
Great and Little Bay sources, Cedar Point Shellfish, Goat Island Oyster Company
and Virgin Oyster Company, with Seaport Fish featuring oysters from Standish
Shore in Duxbury, MA, Pemaquids from Maine and Beau Soliels from New Brunswick.
The
highlight of the evening was the NH Oyster Shucking Championship. Twelve
contestants stepped up to the plate to shuck a dozen oysters as fast and
cleanly as they could. Congratulations
to Mamadou Diallo of the Union Oyster House in Boston who was victorious for
the second consecutive year! He finished fourth in the National Competition
last year and will have the opportunity to compete in National Competition once
again this October in Maryland.
 |
| The 2014 NH Oyster Shucking Champion, Mamadou Diallo |
Overall,
CCANH raised $800 for the Oyster Shell Recycling Project. These funds will go
toward the continual repopulation of oysters in the Great Bay area. This year,
the area of restoration has increased by five acres, with projected
reestablishment numbers reaching one million. CCANH would like to thank L.L.
Bean, Kittery Trading Post, Rising Tide Anglers, Robert’s Maine Grill, and
Newick’s of Dover for their generous donations to this year's auction. They
would also like to thank Redhook Brewery and all the amazing people who came
out to make this event a huge success.
Macallen Dam Feasibility Study Released
Click on our our News & Events page to learn about the recently released report
