First Long Island Oyster Jamboree in Suffolk showcases more than a dozen local shellfish farmers

Thousands of beachgoers soaked up the sun and slurped down oysters at the first Long Island Oyster Jamboree at Smith Point County Park in Shirley on Saturday.

Once nearly wiped from Long Island waters, oysters took center stage at the festival, organized by Suffolk County to promote local shellfish farmers.

“This is the fun part, because we have the opportunity to see people enjoying our product that we put so much time, energy and love into growing,” Southold Town Trustee Elizabeth Peeples said, while twisting a shucking knife into the hinge of an oyster from the Little Ram Oyster Co.

Peeples runs the 10-acre farm in Southold with her wife, Stefanie Bassett, as part of the county’s aquaculture program, which leases underwater land in the Peconic and Gardiners bays to shellfish farmers.

Long Island, and specifically Blue Point oysters, were once wildly popular and internationally acclaimed, but storms, overharvesting and pollution contributed to their decline in the mid 20th century, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said it was “heartbreaking” to see the decline, but pledged support to the industry Saturday.

“I believe in aquaculture,” Romaine said in an interview. “Oysters filter 50 times their weight. If we fill our bays [with them] ... we will have much cleaner water.”

The bivalves play a key role in sequestering carbon from seawater and are also nutrient dense, packed with protein, minerals and zinc, according to the Long Island Oyster Growers Association (LIOGA).

“They’re so good for the water,” said Nicole Powell, who runs the 1-acre Neguntatogue Oysters in the Great South Bay with her husband, Keith. “Even just from starting five years ago, we’ve seen the bay clean up.”

More than a dozen farms served oysters in a variety of ways, from freshly shucked on the half shell for purists, to charbroiled, smoked, roasted and, for the adventurous, atop Bloody Mary shooters.

Randy Kayser, of Stony Brook, sampled a smoked oyster from North Fork Big Oyster Farm, while Nick DiCeglie, of Brooklyn, enjoyed his with a just a touch of lemon.

“I was shocked how much it tastes like a mussel,” Kayser, 29, said.

DiCeglie, 47, said part of the allure was trying different growers. “It’s really interesting, because it’s like terroir for wine,” he said. “Even if it’s a half mile down the shore, it can be completely different.”

The $16.5 million industry is fast growing, with an estimated 10 million oysters harvested in Suffolk waters last year, county officials said.

LIOGA President Eric Koepele said it’s “encouraging” to see the growth, and set a goal of harvesting 100 million oysters Islandwide by 2035.

“The best oysters in the world grow right here,” Koepele said. “People forgot. They’re happy to have a Canadian oyster or a Chesapeake oyster. Have one that didn’t get on a train or a plane to get here.”

Oyster shells can also provide crucial habitats for other marine life, and discarded shells were collected during the festival to be recycled and used as reefs.

Spotlighting local shellfish was a highlight for Paul Deleva, 63, of Sound Beach, who attended the festival with his daughter, Krista. “It shows the water’s getting cleaner,” he said. “And oysters and clams? You can’t go wrong.”