Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 O C T O B E R 1 8 , 2 0 2 1 F O C U S M I D C O A S T / D OW N E A S T M A I N E T he Maine Oyster Trail, a searchable online tool for find- ing oyster farms, shacks and restaurants, lists oyster farms from Sorrento to Kittery, but the majority of Maine's harvest comes from the Damariscotta River. Oysters are so prevalent on the Damariscotta River that heaps of shells still exist from when indigenous people created the middens over the course of a thousand years between 2,200 and 1,000 years ago. "ere's a several-thousand-year history here," says Bill Mook, who founded Mook Sea Farm in Walpole in 1985. "e foundation is here. e oyster population is a natural one here and it's only growing." Mook pointed to the oyster cruises, kayak tours and restaurants that have all centered on the oyster industry along the Damariscotta River area. "Maine historically has a work- ing coastline. Oyster farms won't in any way replace lobstering, but it's a great way to diversify the waterfront economy," Mook says. e value of the oyster harvest was $7 million last year, down from $9.7 million the previous year, reflect- ing the pressures the pandemic put on seafood prices and consumption, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. A total of 10 million oysters were harvested in the state in 2020, with more than 6 million alone coming from the Damariscotta River. "e Damariscotta area is the oyster holy quest. e Damariscotta River is where most of the oysters come from," says Brendan Parson, owner of Shuck Station oyster restaurant in Newcastle and Blackstone Point Oyster Farm on the Damariscotta River. is year, as tourists weary of the pandemic flooded into Maine, saw a jump in both demand and supply, harvesters say. "is year was absolutely record setting. You couldn't grow or harvest fast enough to keep up with demand," Barbara Scully, who sold Glidden Point Oyster Farms in 2016 and now operates Scully Sea Products. "We've seen suc- cess this year at a level we've never seen before. ere's more market demand than the industry can produce." Oyster production is small compared to the iconic Maine lobster industry, which caught 96 million pounds worth more than $400 million, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. e lobster industry faces threats from global warming, federal regulations on gear due to conservation efforts for right whales, proposed wind mill proj- ects and labor shortages that have made it harder to find sternmen. In many ways, oyster farms provide a more stable environment, growers say. "It's an exciting time to be part of aquaculture — when other parts of fisheries are less stable — to help keep the overall working waterfront more vibrant," Parsons says. Parson's Shuck Station restaurant attracts a mix of oyster farmers them- selves, as well as locals and tourists. He tries to bring an educational ele- ment to serving oysters. e restau- rant provides maps of the river with each oyster farm represented to show exactly what the customer is eating and where it was harvested. Wine makers use the term "terroir" to encompass a sense of place — all the factors that go into producing wine grapes, such as soil, elevation, climate. Likewise, oyster harvesters talk about the "merroir," or sense of the sea and the environment that produces oysters. e merroir of different places within the Damariscotta River can produce dif- ferent flavors and different firmness of oysters, harvesters say. "e Damariscotta River happens to be one of the most productive estu- aries. It's ground zero on where oyster aquaculture started," says Scully. "e tourists looking for oysters and oyster farms can find everything here," Scully says. "It's the perfect place for people to learn about and From start-up to growth, wherever you are in your business journey, CEI has the advice and financing to help you make the next step. We are here for you. With business advising and lending experts located from Machias to Biddeford, we know Maine business and Maine communities. 207.504.5900 www.ceimaine.org Serving Maine and New England Since 1974. 207-725- 4304 P O U L I N C O N S T R U C T I O N M E . C O M C O N V E N I E N C E S T O R E S R E S TA U R A N T C O M M E R C I A L / P U B L I C R E TA I L C U M B E R L A N D FA R M S WAT E R B U RY, C T C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » This year was absolutely record setting. You couldn't grow or harvest fast enough to keep up with demand. — Barbara Scully Scully Sea Products

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