Know Your (Oyster) Farmer: Sean Fitzgibbon of Devils Creek Oysters
Story by Virginia Bullington, Photography by Dan Lemaitre. In partnership with Flotsam Magazine.
Sean Fitzgibbon spends as much time as he possibly can on the water. Whether it be surfing, scalloping, clamming, or most recently, oyster farming, Fitzgibbon, known to many as “Fitzy,” is usually happier on the ocean than on land.
Last year, Fitzgibbon took over Ted Lambrecht’s lease up the harbor to begin his own farm. The two worked together last year to ease the transition, cleaning up Lambrecht’s site, and allowing Fitzgibbon to learn more about aquaculture firsthand. Since then, Fitzgibbon has purchased his own gear and customized his boat to suit the needs of his farm, which he has named “Devil’s Creek.”
Fitzgibbon has already been in the shellfish business for years, working as a commercial scalloper and at raw bars throughout his life. When Lambrecht’s oyster farm lease became available, Fitzgibbon jumped at the chance to broaden his bivalve experience.
“It seemed like a good opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Said Fitzgibbon.
He does admit, however, that growing oysters is much different than clamming and scalloping.
“Farming is hard work, it is like the hardest thing ever, but it is necessary. I think it is a good thing,” said Fitzgibbon. “I like the idea of farming and aquaculture, I think it has a lot of potential benefits for the future. Not just for Nantucket, for the whole country.”
Fitzgibbon has witnessed in his work as scalloper how the burgeoning oyster farm industry has improved the water quality of the harbor.
“The harbor in Wauwinet is the cleanest and the bottom is the healthiest looking bottom in terms of ecosystem that I’ve seen in years. If you tow a scallop dredge in certain areas there, everything you pull up is alive, the grass is alive, the conks are alive, there’s clams, there’s scallops, there’s a lot of evident, healthy looking life,” said Fitzgibbon. “I don’t know if that is a direct benefit from the oysters but I would be willing to bet it is. They only help.”
Oysters typically take two years to reach maturity, so for the first couple of seasons, farmers don’t see a profit, but must invest in seed and equipment. For now, Fitzgibbon is in the investment stage, and has relied on volunteer help until he can afford paid labor. By the end of this summer, he hopes to have some sellable crop, which will expand the options for local oyster lovers on island.
