New Help for Oyster Shell Recycling

Grateful for New Faces and Strong Backs

CCA NH’s Oyster Shell Recycling Project received a real shot in the arm recently. A plea for volunteers was answered by Sheyne Branconnier of Dover, Dale Pike of Newmarket, and Bruce Bonenfant of Lee. These gentlemen are a much needed addition to Matt McCarthy who has been doing the bulk of the weekly oyster shell pick-ups at area restaurants. Board members David Beattie and Jeff Barnum help out where they can.

Left to right: Sheyne Branconnier, Dale Pike and Bruce Bonenfant have stepped forward to help with oyster shell collection.

The bulk of the shell on the Seacoast comes from Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, The Surf, both of Portsmouth, Robert’s Maine Grill in Kittery, and Newick’s in Dover. A few other restaurants like The Old Salt in Hampton add to the total. Shell is also collected in the Concord area at O’s Steak and Seafood, Newick’s Lobster House, and Makris Lobster and Steak House by volunteer, Ron Rayner. All the shell ends up in the Great Bay estuary to create new reefs. The Nature Conservancy is the lead in that part of the effort and with the help of the UNH Jackson Lab has created and seeded almost 20 acres in the last few years. 

Matt McCarthy, who has been doing the lion's share of shell pickup, stands next to the CCA NH shell collection trailer.

As everyone knows by now, the estuary has lost over a thousand acres of healthy oyster beds since 1993. Each oyster filters 20-50 gallons of water a day and they are instrumental in improving water quality. To date, CCA NH has collected over 4000 bushels of shell to augment the reef restoration process.

CCA NH recycled shell  drying at UNH's Kingman Farm facility awaiting use in Great Bay oyster restoration efforts next summer.

Oyster restoration not only removes shell from the waste stream to create needed beds, it is a vehicle that engages the public and begins a conversation about all the challenges facing Great Bay. Are you ready to pitch in and help? Contact Jeff Barnum at 603 770 3201.

     

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The 2014 NH Oyster Shucking Champion, Mamadou Diallo

NH Oyster Shucking Champion Finishes Well

In September, at CCA NH’s Piscataqua Oysterpalooza, Mamadou Diallo, of the Union Oyster House in Boston, won the NH Oyster Shucking Championship for the second consecutive time. The win entitled Mamadou to compete for the national championship down in Maryland at the end of October. The US winner is entitled to enter the international competition in Galway, Ireland. Congratulations to Mamadou for finishing ninth in the US. We expect to see him back at next year's Oysterpalooza set for Friday, September 11, 2015 at the Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth. The boys in NH are ready, so he shouldn’t expect an easy win.