Croatians and the Louisiana oyster industry

 

Today, 70 percent of oysters in America are reportedly sourced from the Gulf Coast, and it’s the state’s Croatian immigrants that Louisiana has to thank for its $317 million oyster industry. The LSU College of Agriculture credits Luke Jurisich, a pre-Civil War era Croatian immigrant, also hailing from Duba, as being the first person to actively cultivate oysters in Louisiana. It is said that early Croatian fisherman saw great similarities between the oysters found in the estuaries near the mouth of the Mississippi and the Gulf and those found off the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Over the last 150 years, these immigrants have contributed more to the oyster industry than most people realize, from understanding the science of how salinity affects oyster growth and taste to inventing the oyster dredge and more. (from here). For an introduction to Croatian culture in Louisiana, go here.

 

One thought on “Croatians and the Louisiana oyster industry”

  1. There is a large Croatian population in the Cleveland, OH area as well. I previously worked with a company with a facility in Eastlake with about 400 employees (making steel products) – over half were Croatian and female. Most spoke Croatian.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *