REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) - Commercial shellfish aquaculture is a multimillion dollar business in states up and down the East Coast, but not in Delaware.
Delaware is the only coastal state without a commercial shellfish aquaculture industry, but officials with the Center for the Inland Bays are exploring the possibilities of creating one.
The center held a workshop last year to explore the feasibility of shellfish aquaculture operations in Delaware's Inland Bays. Officials say a healthy oyster population, among other things, can provide significant ecological benefits in an estuary, such as water quality improvements and habitat restoration.
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper planned to visit the center in Rehoboth Beach on Thursday to take part in an oyster farming demonstration and learn about efforts to bring oyster farming aquaculture to Delaware.
