September 29, 2026 — Just as farmers use barns to shelter livestock or to store equipment, many of New Jersey’s clam and oyster growers rely on land facilities to support their operations.
These hatcheries, processing areas and other structures, though, are not legally considered to be part of a shellfish grower’s business under what’s known as aquaculture laws.
Industry experts say that holds back investment and generally makes life more difficult for the shellfish farmers operating in a multimillion-dollar sector of the state economy.
“It is really important to the industry,” said Scot Mackey, executive director of the Garden State Seafood Association.
Many miles from the New Jersey tidal flats and marshes where clam and oyster farmers are growing their products, lawmakers in Trenton are working on a bipartisan basis to provide some relief. Legislation approved by the state Assembly last week would rewrite the state’s definition of aquaculture to ensure it incorporates land facilities.