July 31, 2014 — Regional fishermen, government agencies and environmental groups are cooperating to restore the Bay’s iconic oyster fishery. It’s one of the best examples of how an effective public-private partnership works toward building a sustainable fishery and a better environment.
Beyond boosting local businesses’ bottom line, reviving oysters is also a boon to the Bay as a whole. Oysters, by removing nutrients from the water as they feed, are among the most effective filterers in the Bay. A healthy oyster population helps control the Bay’s nutrient levels, limiting deadly algal blooms and improving the Bay’s health.
Some of the Bay’s biggest fishing companies are vital to the effort. Virginia oyster processors like Bevans Oyster Company, in Kinsale; Cowart Seafood, in Lottsburg; and Kellum Seafood, in Weems, provide the VMRC with the recycled shells necessary for the project. Each year, shells are distributed to replenish the oyster beds, with the newly laid shells allowing oyster larvae to settle on the beds and grow into new oysters. Kellum also contracts with the VMRC to deliver the shells and other materials to beds across the state, using boats designed to travel in the shallow waters where the beds are located.
“It’s a great opportunity in fisheries management for the industry to be able to support the sustainability of the fishery,” said Tommy Kellum, of Kellum Seafood. “It’s one of the few fisheries where the byproduct of consumption – leftover shells – can be used to sustain the resource.”
Omega Protein Corporation, which operates the largest fishery in the Chesapeake Bay, annually donates the use of land at its Reedville, Va. facility to serve as a staging area for the recycled oyster shells before they can be redistributed to the state’s reefs. In addition to providing storage space, the company’s facilities are a convenient, centralized location, with easy access to the Bay and major rivers.
“We’re very happy to help with Virginia’s oyster restoration efforts by providing shell storage and deep-water access for loading,” said Monty Deihl, Omega Protein Corporation’s Senior Director of Plant Operations in Reedville. “A thriving oyster population is vital to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, our fellow watermen’s livelihoods, and the state’s economy.”
Read the full story at National Geographic