Eight Generations

Published by Ocean Conservancy

Can you imagine a family in the same business for eight generations?  Talk about dedication and deep expertise! That is what struck me when I met the Haward family, who has been farming oysters since the 1700s.  Last month in West Mersea, England, I had the privilege of visiting Richard Haward’s Oysters. I was hosted by Richard himself, along with his son Bram. These men have inherited a craft honed by their great, great, great, great grandparents, but they are living in a time of unprecedented environmental change. And that is precisely why I was there, along with four American shellfish farmers. Specifically, we traveled to the United Kingdom to talk about ocean acidification and how it threatens the livelihoods and traditions of people who rely on the sea.

Earlier this week I wrote about the formal (and informal) discussions we had about ocean acidification with U.K. shellfish farmers, scientists and policymakers. We talked about its impacts on U.S. oyster and shellfish health and how we’ve started to address it on both sides of the Atlantic. We learned about the oyster farms, growing techniques, and water quality issues in the U.K.

Today, I’m writing about the people on the water whose lives would be directly affected by acidification.

I’m also showing more photos so you get a sense of Richard’s family, his business, the water where the oysters are harvested and of course, the oysters.

Here’s what we saw and learned:

We traveled about two hours by train and car from London to West Mersea, a small, breezy fishing town on the mostly farmland island of Mersea. Our trip took place during a pleasant window of sunny weather before the rain came later that afternoon. Credit: Katy Davidson
A photo of everyone who came on the trip in front of Richard’s family restaurant. Front L-R: Terry Sawyer, Silvana Birchenough, Ryan Ono, Theresa Douthwright (SoleShare partner), Jack Clarke (SoleShare); Back (L-R): Bill Dewey, Richard Haward, Dan Grosse and Mike Martinsen. Credit: Katy Davidson
After meeting Richard at the restaurant, we split into two groups on different boats to dredge for two different species of oysters in the River Blackwater. Credit: Katy Davidson
Richard (right) and Terry Sawyer (left) of Hog Island Oyster Co. in California discuss how the oysters (Crassostrea gigas or Pacific oysters) just harvested in their hands have become prolific around the world, and in fact Terry and others from the Pacific Coast grow the same oyster species, originally from Japan. In England, these have supplemented low production of native European oysters (Ostrea edulis, or European flats). Credit: Ryan Ono
Me holding a “native” European oyster. These are rarer in Europe due to overfishing and pollution since the late 1800s, and are sold at a premium. In raw form on a half-shell, they can retail up to $4 each in upscale London oyster bars. Credit: Ryan Ono
Terry talks to Jack Clarke of SoleShare, our trip organizers, about the 4-6 years of growth “natives” need to achieve market-size, with Terry holding one in his hand. Credit: Ryan Ono
Cefas scientist Silvana Birchenough (left) asks Bill Dewey (right) of Taylor Shellfish Farms in Washington State about the impact of ocean acidification on the Pacific Northwest shellfish industry over the years. Credit: Katy Davidson
Harvesting oysters on the River Blackwater. Richard and his family place baby oysters, or spat, from a hatchery onto the riverbed. The spat are allowed to grow for a few years before harvest. Not all oyster farmers dredge their shellfish from the riverbed though. Other production methods include the use of plastic mesh bags and metal cages in which the baby oysters grow, suspended just above the ocean or river floor. Credit: Katy Davidson
One of Richard’s workers searches for the best, market-sized Pacific oysters in this haul. They are then brought to shore, purified (see later photo), and shipped off to customers. Credit: Katy Davidson
A box of the Pacific oysters ready to be weighed, packed, sold and shipped. These either go directly to customer homes in wooden boxes to allow for air circulation, are sold at one of Richard’s seafood restaurants, or shipped to restaurants all over Europe.Credit: Katy Davidson
Talking more oysters on the boat. Conversations ranged from the market prices of oysters, and time and labor spent harvesting, to the history of the industry. A common concern shared by farmers around the globe is disease outbreak. And unfortunately the UK oyster industry was hit with vibrio disease outbreaks as recently as 2011 that decimated production for some farms. Mike Martinsen of the Montauk Shellfish Company is in his famous hat in the middle.
Richard leads us on a tour of his facility where, after harvest, the oysters are stored in clean water to help flush out any impurities or bacteria in tanks for about 48 hours before they are shipped off for human consumption. Credit: Katy Davidson
After a tough day sightseeing and talking shop, we met back at the restaurant and enjoyed some oysters and beer! Here, Dan Grosse of Toby Island Bay Oyster Farm and I raise a few shells. Credit: Katy Davidson


Read the full article at: http://blog.oceanconservancy.org/2016/07/21/eight-generations/

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