Okeover Organic Oysters

Although there are presently no guidelines for organic shellfish, Okeover Organic Oysters produces their oysters without the use of any chemicals, guaranteeing that they are entirely natural. The certification of organically produced fish has already begun in Britain. "Given the benign nature of high-quality shellfish production, they're a natural fit with organic certification," says the director of their Certification Body. "Shellfish farming, particularly on a small scale, is generally considered an environmentally benign way to produce highly nutritious food for human consumption."

They have created a low-impact, low-waste method of farming shellfish that makes use of solar-powered winches and pumps as well as reusable growout systems. Even the water they use to produce seeds comes from a spring and is delivered to them by gravity, eliminating the need for gas-powered pumps.

Their raft system's design is another method they have decided to reduce their ecological impact. They employ recyclable and recycled floatation to construct their seed rafts. Coated styrofoam floats are the industry standard, however although being simpler to install, they are vulnerable to storm and ice damage. The result is that styrofoam beads are widely available. These are food for fish and birds. Additionally not recyclable is styrofoam.