Eat Louisiana Oysters, Save Louisiana’s Coastline

What if I told you those oysters you enjoy on the half shell or fried in a delicious po-boy sandwich could pay double dividends to our state? To me, that sounds like the ultimate win/win situation for Louisiana, those of us that live here, and our diminishing coastline.

Let me explain.

Since 2014 many Louisiana restaurants have been members of the Coalition to Restore Louisiana's Coastline. What the coalition does is take the shells of freshly shucked Louisiana oysters and return them to the coast where they will help to build oyster reefs and shoreline habitats.

In the first year of the program, the CRLC collected over 1500 tons of oyster shells and returned them to the coast.  Since its inception in 2014, the program has grown to be the largest shell recycling program in the nation.

Personally, I think it's a great idea and I'd be in favor of seeing it expanded. Right now the CRLC program only lists 25 New Orleans area restaurants as participants in the program. I know there are a lot more than 25 places in the state that serve oysters and I think it would be a good thing if as many restaurants as possible could sign up.

We could probably increase the number of participants if people like you and I would just ask the restaurants where we enjoy Louisiana Seafood if they are participating in the program. If they're not, we should ask them to look into it. Seems to me getting some good food while saving Louisiana's fragile coastal environment will make dining out an even better option.