November marks Virginia Oyster Month, a time to celebrate the watermen and women who drive the state’s flourishing seafood sector.
Virginia ranks No. 1 on the East Coast for oyster production, according to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent proclamation declaring November Virginia Oyster Month. The average dockside value for Virginia’s wild and farmed oysters is over $45 million annually.
The Chesapeake Bay’s unique environment is central to the commonwealth’s oyster abundance.
“We’re very fortunate to have the largest estuary in the U.S.—the Chesapeake Bay,” said Mike Hutt, the Virginia Marine Products Board’s executive director. “And because we’ve got diverse salinity levels, anywhere from low salinity to high salinity, we have a variety of oyster flavors that suit anybody’s palate.”
“Oysters are high in protein, low in fat and high in iron,” Hutt said. “They’re a good, healthy choice.”
Oysters have long been a staple in Virginia, dating back thousands of years when indigenous communities ...