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Officials from an oyster hatchery delivered a presentation before state oyster representatives.
Two members from Spat-Tech gave a sales pitch to the Louisiana Oyster Task force Wednesday, March 4, at Government Tower. No decision was made, it was only a presentation.
“The oysters are going to spawn every year, it’s just the survival of that larva in the water column is what they’re faced with,” said Mitch Jurisich, Chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.
Oyster stock levels have been in decline for some time, according to Jakov Jurisic, Plaquemines Oyster Association and task force member, and he thinks it’s environmental.
According to Walter Boasso, owner of Spat-Tech, the Chesapeake Bay has been facing the same decline in oyster stock and their governments have been investing in hatcheries to replenish the numbers.
Spat-Tech’s difference, said Boasso, is that as a private industry they must have a return on investment.
“The only difference is that we are a commercial business versus a[n] entity,” said Boasso. “With that said… we gotta guarantee some kind of results.”
The company raises the oysters and when the product gets to a certain age, they dispose of the weaklings, “poor performing larva, we throw out on a daily basis,” said Chris Cannon, Vice President of Spat-Tech.
“By doing this we are only producing athletes who are stronger than the general population,” he said.
15-30,000 are grown per year by the company, which are released into the environment at an age where they have about 4 spawns before becoming harvestable with the goal of overtaking the mortality rate.
“Think about it like the D-Day landing, you just flood the beach with so many men,” said Cannon. “You’re overpowering them with numbers.”
Spat-Tech’s promotional video can be viewed below:
