NATCHEZ ON THE WATERFRONT 17


local sponsors to help continue it. The big reward for the residents (and other fishermen in the area) comes down the road when the grown salmon return to their adopted natal river, making for great fishing. On the flip side, back in


Connecticut, there is the cautionary tale of the Mohegan Tribe’s effort about 18 years ago to initiate a major oyster, clam and scallop project in Eastern Long Island Sound. Their investment was substantial, together with considerable press coverage that praised their plans to bolster the shellfish industry, preserve the working waterfront, create jobs, etc. They even made arrangements with the Thames Yacht Club and several other facilities in the area to set up some working models of their system to help train their initial staff and get the ball rolling while they were negotiating the permit process. After years of being bogged down in that process, with objections from multiple stakeholders, most notably other types of fishermen and waterfront property owners, they finally pulled the plug, ending these grand plans, as well as their efforts at local marinas.


Successful operation Fast forward to 2019 and the Hoopers Island Oyster Company, currently headquartered in Cambridge, Maryland, which also happens to be the location of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina. This operation was founded in 2010 and has been successfully growing and expanding ever since, with its success based on specially- bred oysters and some pretty sophisticated aquaculture practices. What happened in 2019 is that Hoopers Island worked with the Hyatt to set up an exhibit within


the hotel on the history and current state of oysters and aquaculture in the Chesapeake. This was enhanced by a few of their special-purpose oyster docks out in the water, tied up to the floats that lead to the marina berths, and complete with information boards explaining what’s going on and at busy times (or when servicing the young oysters) a person on the docks explaining the operation. To top it all off and tie everything together, when you head to the hotel’s restaurants, they feature various Hoopers Island oysters on the menu. Both Hoopers and the Hyatt got


Boards on special-purpose oyster docks provide information at Hyatt’s marina.


lots of great press. The Hyatt and its marina got a feature that helps make it unique and set it apart from other facilities. Hoopers got to promote their business, as well as the overall efforts to expand oyster aquaculture in the bay, and a fantastic opportunity to educate both the boating and land-based public on how raising oysters in the bay can improve water quality (each oyster filters about 50 gallons of water per day), while also creating jobs and local food – all


MARINA INDUSTRY • AUGUST 2020


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