Some History of Oyster Cultivation in Eastern Connecticut
When the first colonists arrived in Eastern Connecticut, populations of American Oysters, (Crassostria Virginica), were plentiful. They were a significant food source for the indigenous people. The colonists quickly incorporated them into their diet as well. Some of the earliest town records in both Stonington and Groton pertained to the separation and designation of individually parceled oyster grounds. Sixpenny Island was the town oyster ground for Groton way back in the 1900’s. There are records of oyster cultivation in Stonington as far back as 1873 (full document). Quambaug Cove produced thousands of bushels of oysters annually.
As the colonies became states, the
value of the American Oyster as a cash crop grew. Prized for their
high quality, Connecticut oysters began to be shipped back to Europe and sold
throughout the cities in the expanding colonies. Oysters became the state’s
largest export. The history of New York City Oysters is explored in detail
in Mark Kurlanski's 2006 book, "The Big Oyster".
One of the earliest documents in the Town Hall of Stonington is an application is the 1843 application to plant oysters submitted by Mr. George M. Long. This parcel, on the flats north of Mason's island and south of Murphy Point ironically, is currently an actively managed bed leased by Connecticut Cultured Oysters along with several other members of the Noank Aquaculture Coop. Much has changed since then. The swelling area population greatly reduced native oyster populations. With the construction of the railroad in the 1900’s, large areas of estuary habitat were blocked off from normal weather and tidal flushing action. Large tracts of marsh behind the track bed now had restricted tidal flow and started to get choked off with silt. These areas no longer supported wild oyster populations. The lower numbers of surviving oysters could no longer naturally repopulate the smaller and smaller area of suitable habitat. With the exception of a few areas in the Thames River, the wild American Oyster had essentially vanished form New London County.
Oyster Farming in the Mystic Estuary
Today, the American Oyster is on a slow
comeback. Local oyster farmers, starting with hatchery-reared stock, are once
again building up and maintaining living oyster reefs in the Mystic River
estuary. You will occasionally see them working their beds as you travel down
river. Beds are maintained through a continual process of harvest and
replanting. Oysters tend to live about five years and gradually succumb to
several cumulative diseases that are specific to the species. Older animals
need to be removed and replaced with younger. This replacement is accomplished
through the commercial harvest and sale of three-year and older animals.
Oyster farming is hard work and is
constantly challenged by weather and predators. Oysters must be moved from
the hatchery, to outdoor nursery systems, planted on the bottom in suitable
areas, and finally, put back in cages before sale to the market. It’s a
time-consuming,
risky endeavor, but the benefits are starting to be seen. In some spots in
the Mystic River, baby oysters can be found growing on pilings and other
structures. These “babies” are the result of hatchery-grown, planted
oysters, that have spawned wild in the estuary. The picture to the right
shows two "natural set" baby oysters on a dead adult oyster shell. The
round shells growing alongside it are a native species of slipper shell
crepidula.
Oysters on the bottom also
provide habitat for a variety of crabs, shrimp and fish. Anglers in the South
are well aware of the game fish attracting qualities of an oyster reef. Cages
of oysters awaiting sale provide habitat and shelter to a variety of juvenile
species prized by recreational anglers including blackfish, sea bass and scup.
Lastly, as part of the leasing process for underwater land, clams and oysters
are remunerated back to the local shellfish commissions for restocking of public
recreational shellfish beds.
