Oyster Season has Begun!
This year, October 1st marked the start of the oyster season here in South Carolina. Follow our guide below to do your part this year while enjoying oysters from harvesting to recycling your shell, volunteering with SCORE, and spreading the news to others!
Anyone holding a saltwater recreational fishing license may harvest up to two U.S. bushels of oysters and/or one half-bushel of clams in South Carolina! Use the interactive map below to help you find shellfish grounds open to recreational harvesters. Remember to “cull in place“, that is, to break apart clusters while harvesting. Leaving smaller oysters behind help with future growth!
Oyster Recreational Harvesting Map
*The SCDNR web app does not show shellfish grounds closed by recent storm events. Always check with SCDHEC by visiting their website or calling (800) 285-1618
Read more about shellfish harvesting regulations in South Carolina HERE
When purchasing oysters or harvesting them yourself, complete the cycle by recycling them afterward! Don’t toss your loose oyster shells in the trash or in the marsh. Recycle them with SCDNR and help us restore our oyster reefs and estuaries! SCDNR will recycle any kind of shell (non-native, clams, mussels, etc.). Remember to pick out any trash in your shell pile before recycling them. Click the link below to find the closest drop-off site to you!
Live in Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, Georgetown, or Beaufort? Join their Oyster Shell Recycling team and help collect recycled shells from participating restaurants! Email score@dnr.sc.gov for more information.
The above information has been sourced from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Newsletter.
