About Us

The oyster fishery in the Gulf of Mexico has been a global leader in  oyster production. Gulf oysters now account for more than half of the  U.S. oyster supply. These gains in oyster production have been achieved  in the face of significant headwinds. Degrading water quality, storm  events, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and most recently, the abrupt  and prolonged freshwater incursion, as a result of the extended opening  of the Bonnet Carré Spillway, have destroyed significant reef areas and  diminished wild oyster populations.  

With the decrease in wild oyster populations, aquaculture, which now  produces over 50% of fisheries products worldwide, has the potential to  both supplement wild populations and support a commercial oyster aquaculture industry. Off-bottom oyster farming can diversify  commercial oyster harvest by providing an opportunity to farm oysters  using controlled techniques. Over the last decade, a vibrant off bottom aquaculture industry has begun to develop across the Gulf coast  to help fill the demand for safe, high-quality oysters. This industry is relatively new, and the existing regulatory framework designed for the  traditional oyster industry is not necessarily amenable to the growth of a  new industry.

The establishment of a shellfish industry association that  could prioritize actionable items and promote solutions to alleviate  regulatory bottlenecks has been identified as a critical initiative to  facilitate innovation and growth in the shellfish industry. We have begun  the process of establishing the Gulf Shellfish Farmers Association  (GSFA) to enable the industry to develop collaborative relationships  with regulatory agencies, industry stakeholders, and academia to identify  the unmet needs of the industry and provide the structure through which  key technical, environmental, social, and regulatory issues can be  prioritized for communication to the public and relevant regulators in one voice. 

Get Involved

The shellfish farmers of the Gulf coast need a voice that can be heard. Come join us today.