Public Policy for Resilient Oyster Management in the Gulf of Mexico: Managing a Vulnerable Species by Engaging Coastal Stakeholders

Abstract

The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is an important economic, ecological, and cultural species throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Despite its importance, oyster populations have been declining long-term throughout the region due to a multitude of natural and manmade factors, such as extreme weather events, pollution, and overharvest, leading to an estimated minimum 50-85% loss. This is especially true for the Gulf states of Mississippi and Alabama, USA, which were once major oyster producing states that rivaled Texas but are now the lowest producers in the Gulf. Climate change is expected to worsen the effects of natural hazards on oysters, including hurricanes, rising sea surface temperatures, and ocean acidification. Oyster production in the Gulf is vulnerable to these changes; thus, it is important to measure its resiliency, or its ability to absorb shocks and retain essential functions after a hazard occurs. One way to measure and improve resiliency is by engaging with relevant stakeholders, such as oyster producers, resource managers, and researchers, and by analyzing policy and management strategies through theoretical governance frameworks. This research incorporated oyster stakeholders from Mississippi and Alabama, who were engaged via community programming called a community of practice and qualitative research methods such as interviewing and surveying to explore perceptions of industry challenges and therefore identify resilience gaps. Example gaps include long aquaculture permitting times, limited oyster physical and programming infrastructure, and regulatory confusion, among others. However, this research has also identified policy learning related to the oyster industry, indicating that the system has learned from previous hazards and has implemented policies and programs to increase the industry’s resilience. These include the implementation of off-bottom oyster aquaculture, oyster shell recycling programs, and cooperative oyster research throughout Gulf states, among others. Though the system is engaging in learning and identifying new policies, this research indicates that its status is precarious and that the oyster industry may succumb to a series of natural and/or manmade hazards.