We’re right smack dab in the middle of the `R’ months, meaning that treasured tradition of oyster roasts along the South Carolina coast is in full swing.
Thus the brainstorm of Chris Hawley, Chairman and State Board Representative of the Waccamaw Chapter of the S.C. Coastal Conservation Association, and Leslye Beaver, owner of The Beaver Bar, to start a tradition of their own in Murrells Inlet – the first annual Lowcountry Oyster Roast and BBQ Dinner.
The inaugural event will be held outside at the Beaver Bar on Saturday, January 28 at 4 p.m. Attendees will enjoy local oysters provided by Seven Seas Seafood and BBQ provided by The Beaver Bar. The $25 admission will include all-you-can-eat oysters and BBQ with the fixins’ plus an open bar (beer and wine).
The event exemplifies the South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement (SCORE) program in action. One of the numerous S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ oyster shell recycling trailers will be on site for the leftover shell from the oyster roast to be piled on and then returned to its rightful place – in a local estuary.
CCA South Carolina is very active in the SCORE program through its Topwater Action Campaign, with a mantra of “Habitat Today Equals Fish For Tomorrow.”
“We are very excited to finally host an event in the Murrells Inlet area where folks can come together and enjoy the best local oysters, but then have the satisfaction of knowing that the shells will be recycled here through our Topwater Action Campaign,” said Hawley. “It’s very rewarding – really a win-win situation for everyone involved. It will be great food and a great cause.”
SCORE’s purpose is to restore and enhance oyster habitat along the Palmetto State coast by planting recycled oyster shells in the intertidal environment to form new, self-sustaining oyster reefs.
Returning the used shell to the state’s estuaries is ultra-important because oyster shell is the preferred and natural surface for spat, or oyster larvae, to attach to, creating new oysters and in turn new oyster beds, thus the program’s slogan of “Oysters Are Habitat-Forming.”
According to S.C. DNR, oyster populations are on the decline, meaning the work done through SCORE is of the utmost importance in South Carolina’s estuaries. Volunteers play a big role in the program, which is where CCA South Carolina comes in.
“All of the oyster shell CCA collects goes to the SCORE program,” said Gary Keisler, CCA State Board Member and Chairman of the Topwater Action Campaign.
Since its inception in 2001, SCORE has constructed 188 oyster reefs at 35 sites along 200 miles of coastline from Murrells Inlet to Hilton Head. The SCORE program has bagged over 40,000 bushels of shell overall while CCA has collected over 400,000 pounds of shell in the last three years. Over 8,000 volunteers have helped with the SCORE program, contributing more than 26,000 volunteer hours.
Not only will the used shell from the oyster roast return to the estuaries, proceeds from the event will go to CCA and help fund the oyster shell recycling efforts.
Other sponsors of the event include Pawleys Island Outdoors and Williams Knife Company.
A slick Williams Knife Company original handcrafted Edisto Oyster Knife valued at $250 will be one of the items raffled off at the event. Attendees will be automatically entered into the raffles with their ticket stub.
Williams Knife Co. was the overall winner in Garden & Gun Magazine’s 2011 Made In The South Awards.
• Note | The annual fundraising banquet for CCA’s Waccamaw Chapter is a separate event and will be held March 30. For more information on the Lowcountry Oyster Roast and BBQ Dinner or the fundraising banquet contact Hawley at 843-455-0371.
• Youth Waterfowl Days | South Carolina’s waterfowl hunters will have an excellent opportunity to introduce the next generation of hunters to the sport of waterfowling during Federal Youth Days scheduled for Feb. 4-5. Only hunters 15 years of age or younger can hunt waterfowl (ducks and geese) on these days. The youth must be accompanied by an adult of at least 18 years of age. The adult is not allowed to carry a gun or hunt and does not have to be licensed. Regular duck season limits apply.
South Carolina youth waterfowl hunters are not required to have the Federal Waterfowl stamp and the HIP (migratory bird) permit for the hunt. For more information on Youth Waterfowl Days or Migratory Bird Regulations, call (803) 734-3886 in Columbia.
Area S.C. DNR Waterfowl Management Areas open for the hunt on Saturday, Feb. 4 include:
• Marsh WMA in Marion County
• Wee Tee WMA in Williamsburg County
• Hatchery WMA in Berkeley County
• Moultrie WMA in Berkeley County
• DNR Waterfowl Management Areas are not open on Sundays.
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