Maine oyster-farming firms North Haven Oyster Company and Deer Isle Oyster Company are pioneering a plastic-free approach to oyster farming by testing alternative gear, and have successfully made it through their first season without using plastic.
In Maine, oysters are generally farmed from spring through fall, though there are some operations that operate year-round in areas that don’t typically freeze.
Oyster farming is widely considered more environmentally friendly than other forms of aquaculture, as it requires no freshwater input, produces negligible greenhouse gases, and provides ecosystem benefits like water filtration and carbon sequestration.
However, most farms rely heavily on plastic gear.
The two Maine farms use an off-bottom culture method, growing the oysters in floating cages, racks, or bags instead of on the seafloor. This method has historically depended on vinyl-coated trap wire, plastic mesh bags, and large plastic pontoon floats.
North Haven Oyster Company, located in North Haven, Maine, recently completed its first full season in 2024 using the method with plastic-free gear.
In place of plastic mesh bags, the company implemented cedar crates made from local native timber. According to North Haven Owner Adam Campbell, the firm’s oysters grew bigger in less time, and mortality rates dropped off to zero with the new gear, compared to the typical 10 percent annual loss.
“We had zero mortality on that oyster seed this summer, and this was the first year we're 100 percent plastic free. I've never seen that before. In the plastic bags, you always had morality. I believe it is the off-gassing of the plastic that's killing the baby oysters,” Campbell said.
Campbell further explained that the off-gassing theory comes from his time as a commercial lobsterman …
