December 15, 2024
The Birth of Bama Bay: Jackie Wilson’s Journey to Oyster Farming
Bama Bay Oyster Farm, located on the coast of Alabama, is Alabama’s first and only woman-owned and led sustainable marine farm producing oysters. Jackie Wilson’s career in oyster farming began when she was younger, and it started as a sustenance operation. However, she realized “I could make some money from this”. She developed an understanding of the profit margin that can be made with oysters, and how profitable oysters can become when produced on a large scale.
When Wilson came upon Bama Bay Oyster farm in 2013, she was working for the previous owners testing water parameters to ensure a healthy environment for the growing oysters. Wilson became close with the owner, Betty, and later moved onto the property during covid and began to work the farm for 15% of the company’s share. Betty passed away due to COVID-19, when an employee came in and was not wearing a mask, and Wilson was given ownership of the farm, which she split with Betty’s children.
When it comes to the practices of Bama Bay Farm, Wilson prioritized sustainability in all aspects, with the goal of the farm having an overall positive impact on the environment. She is a member of the Shellfish Climate Coalition, and her company leaves no impactful materials behind in the water, as well as finding used gear to prevent wasteful production of new gear. Any oysters that die before making it to harvestable size are returned to the ocean, sequestering carbon by breaking down the shell rather than disposing on land. Wilson wants to make whatever impact she can, stating that “having oysters in the water in large amounts is helping no matter what. Oysters are the only consumable product of aquaculture of agriculture that leave a positive impact on the environment.” Wilson describes the oyster industry as not going anywhere, and that there is a lot of opportunity to expand upon current practices and continue to increase positive environmental impact.
Oyster Farming and Aquaculture: A Sustainable Industry Making Waves for the Environment
Environmental degradation brought forward because of climate change is not reserved only for traditional ideas of farming. Our marine farming systems like oyster and algae farms, for instance, will also see a major shift as climate change intensifies. With rising temperatures of oceans, pH will steadily decline, wreaking havoc on our oceans and destroying marine ecosystems. Oceans themselves, as a major carbon sink, have absorbed approximately ⅓ of all carbon dioxide produced by human activities. This rapid uptick of carbon and rising temperatures in the water leads to a process called ocean acidification which facilitates harm on ecosystems within the water. This gradual change in the composition of our oceans will alter the patterns of biochemical cycles that have been stable in our marine systems until now, meaning a myriad of negative impacts are sure to come along. For instance, many animal metabolism mechanisms are temperature dependent and any changes in the temperature of our oceans, let alone a large shift in temperature, could disrupt their livelihoods. Other issues like runoff caused by warmer water temperatures and erosion can cause issues within our marine systems like Hypoxia, or a depleted level of oxygen within the water, which can kill many types of fish and shellfish that agricultural systems need to thrive. Humans depend on many marine farming systems for food sources, jobs, and even just to keep coastal systems stable. Any negative environmental impacts on fish farms and other aquatic farms will have the possibility to cause irreversible damage to our food production systems and act as a major barrier to the success of agricultural yields and the ability to provide for a growing population.
Oyster farming, a form of regenerative aquaculture, has the ability to have a positive net impact on the environment. In the case of Bama Bay, Jackie’s oysters are carefully selectively bred to yield the best possible survival rates, which in turn increases the maximum amount of filter-feeding during the oyster’s life cycle. As mentioned before, Bama Bay also prioritizes sustainability in the gear it uses and its overall practices, further emphasizing leaving a positive impact on the environment while producing a steady food source.
Charting the Future: Bama Bay Oyster Farm’s Next Steps
Looking towards the future, Bama Bay and Jackie see the oyster industry continuing to grow as demand continues to increase. Alabama oysters provide a gap that needs to be filled in Florida’s oyster demand, due to wild oyster harvest varying and not always sufficient in quantity or quality. As climate change continues to press on, this issue will become exasperated, presenting both a challenge in regards to climate change, but also an opportunity for oyster farmers like Jackie and Bama Bay that are producing specialized, climate-resistant strains of oysters. The future of both the climate and sustainable aquaculture is questionable, however, entrepreneurs like Jackie are crucial to furthering the positive impact agriculture can have on both the environment and the economy.
Check out Bama Bay Oyster Farm’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bamabayoysterfarm/ as well as their website at https://bamabayoysterfarm.weebly.com/ to learn more and get connected within the oyster farming community!
Author: John Swinea