[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 96 (Thursday, June 24, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5436-S5437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING GAY ISLAND OYSTER COMPANY

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, one of the most beloved summer 
traditions we have in coastal Maine is enjoying fresh seafood from our 
State's numerous bays and harbors. While Maine is of course famous for 
its exquisite lobster, parts of our State are also undergoing a 
renaissance in oyster harvesting, particularly in the midcoast region. 
Today, I rise to recognize one of the companies involved in this 
reinvigoration of the industry, the Gay Island Oyster Company, a small 
family-run business founded in 2000 in the small seaside town of 
Cushing by Tara and Barrett Lynde.
  A historic source of food in Maine, oysters have been gathered off 
the State's coast for over 5,000 years. Certain excavations have even 
found piles of shucked oysters, also known as ``middens,'' over 30 feet 
deep near the Damariscotta River near present-day route 1. 
Unfortunately, by 1949, climate changes, development, overfishing, and 
pollution had all but eliminated Maine's native oyster population. In 
response, Maine's Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries began a 
concerted effort to return this unique bivalve to local waters.
  The Gay Island Oyster Company is one of the pioneering small 
businesses to take advantage of this reintroduction and has helped to 
revolutionize Maine's aquaculture industry. The owners of the company, 
Tara and Barrett Lynde, also hold a special distinction as a dynamic 
mother-and-son oyster harvesting team. Their oyster farm is unique in 
its harvesting methods, using floating mesh bags which bring Gay 
Island's oysters to the water's surface exposing them to tidal water 
flows. Tara and Barrett say that by

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bringing oysters, which are normally found on the bottom of the ocean, 
to the surface, the oysters benefit from constant movement which 
translates into deeper oysters, narrower shells, and a cleaner taste. 
This method ensures that Gay Island oysters are full and sweet with 
perfect salinity and consistent taste.
  To harvest these oysters, Tara and Barrett first place oyster 
seedlings in the calmer and less salty waters of the Meduncook River. 
After about a year they are moved a short distance away to an area 
between Gay and Morse islands, just off the coast of Cushing. The 
oysters then remain there for 2 more years before they are ready for 
harvest and consumption.
  Gay Island Oyster Company is proud to remain a small business, and 
Tara and Barrett believe that their individual attention to detail 
allows them to ensure that the quality of their oysters will remain 
high. As a small family owned and operated business, Gay Island Oyster 
Company's efforts at responsible and sustainable oyster cultivation are 
a positive contribution towards a sensible use of such a precious 
resource. While Gay Island oysters are found in numerous restaurants, 
they can also be ordered from anywhere in the United States online, and 
are shipped the same day they are harvested to guarantee an unmatched 
freshness.
  Maine's coastal heritage is critical to the past, present, and future 
of our State. While we often recognize the lobstermen and fishermen who 
spend long hours hauling in their catches, oystermen and other 
shellfishermen deserve credit for the intensity of their labors. I 
congratulate Tara and Barrett Lynde for founding Gay Island Oysters and 
recapturing a lost part of Maine's aquaculture, and I wish them all the 
best for many more successful years to come.

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