OYSTER RECOVERY PARTNERSHIP’S

SHELL RECYCLING ALLIANCE (SRA)

Bryan Kent Gomes Program Manager

Who We Are

• A 20 year old Maryland non-profit that brings together state and federal government agencies, scientists, watermen and conservation organizations towards the common goal of oyster restoration

• The results? We have planted nearly 5 Billion oysters and recycled 30,000 bushels of shell

Shell Recycling Program

• Shell is a limited resource and required for restoration, leaseholders (aquaculture) and the wild fishery

• ORP started the Shell Recycling Alliance in 2009 to

recapture the shell going to the landfill • The program now includes over 200 restaurants,

seafood distributors, and businesses throughout the mid-Atlantic region (DE, MD, DC and VA)

SRA MEMBERSHIP in REGION

Tax Credit Impacts

• MD Shell Recycling Tax credit passed in 2013 • $1/bushel tax credit for individuals and

business in the state. $750 max • SRA “Certificate Program” allows

individuals, businesses and government agencies to become ‘official’ collectors and/or verifiers

• For example: Oyster farms can collect shell from restaurants and use it on their lease

Opportunities for Charles Co.

• Southern Maryland does not have a formal shell recycling program

• A similar public shell drop-off program could be established with Charles County Landfill Recycling Center similar to what has been done in Anne Arundel, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico and Caroline Counties

• Oyster Recovery Partnership would partner with the County and handle the necessary logistics; Charles County would provide space and verification, if required

Sample Shell Recycling Container

The Robert Lee, ORP’s Planting Vessel, plants oyster spat on shell in the Patuxent River.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

For more information, contact Bryan Gomes at 410-990-4970 or sra@oysterrecovery.org