Governor McAuliffe Announces Virginia Oyster Harvests Continue to Climb

Chargrilled oysters (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

~Last year’s harvest increased to the highest level since 1987~

Newport News, VA. –Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that Virginia’s oyster harvest jumped another 25 percent last year, surging past 500,000 bushels, the most in nearly a generation.

“Over the past few years, Virginia has become the oyster capital of the East Coast, and that is great news for our Commonwealth’s economy,’’ said Governor McAuliffe. “The growth we’ve seen in the oyster harvest is extraordinary, but hardly a surprise. Virginia produces the best tasting oysters in the world, and every sustainably-harvested oyster helps clean the Chesapeake Bay and create good jobs in a tough economy. There is no question that Virginia is for oyster lovers.”

Over the past 12 years, the oyster harvest in Virginia has increased from 23,000 bushels in 2001 to an estimated 504,000 bushels last year. This is the highest level seen since 1987 and is 25 percent more than the 409,000 bushels harvested in 2012.

Preliminary harvest estimates show gains in both wild-caught oysters from public oyster rocks as well as from privately leased water bottoms.

Harvest from public oyster grounds grew from 150,534 bushels in 2012 to 213,152 bushels last year, and the harvest from privately leased growing areas continued six years of sustained growth, rising from 258,496 bushels in 2012 to 408,912 bushels last year.

“State investments in our oyster replenishment program are showing positive results,” said Molly Joseph Ward, Secretary of Natural Resources. “Keeping this momentum is vital to the growth of the oyster industry. Our comprehensive fisheries management programs, combined with private sector investments, are having a very positive impact for the Bay, consumers and the economy. We need to keep moving forward.”

The dockside value of the oyster harvest increased to $22.2 million last year, up from $16.2 million in 2012.

The ripple effects through the economy from last year’s harvest resulted in an estimated $58.4 million in economic value, using a multiplier of 2.63 on a dockside value of $22.2 million, a formula established by the late Dr. James Kirkley, a well-respected Virginia Institute of Marine Science seafood industry economist.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s management of  the oyster stocks includes rotational oyster harvest areas and deployment of fossil oyster shells mined annually from the beneath James River on to public oyster grounds. These fossil shells become home for naturally occurring oyster larvae that attach to them during spawning and grow to form new adult oysters that will reach market size in roughly three years.

This oyster replenishment program provides substantial ecological as well as economic benefits, as the oysters filter the water during growth to a market size of three inches. Oyster reefs provide important forage and refuge habitat for invertebrates as well as juvenile crabs and finfish species.

“Oysters are doing well right now. We are making tremendous progress,’’ said VMRC Commissioner John M.R. Bull. “But oysters are still susceptible to disease and other environmental factors outside of our control. A lot of people have put a lot of work into getting Virginia into this position and it is paying dividends. It is worth celebrating, but we need to keep in mind that oysters live in a dynamic, ever-changing ecosystem.”

Virginia’s history of oyster harvests can be found here

http://mrc.virginia.gov/SMAC/VA-Oyster-Harvests.pdf

Governor McAuliffe Announces $500,000 Nature Conservancy Grant

English: The Nature Conservancy logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor McAuliffe Announces $500,000 Nature Conservancy Grant For Large-scale Oyster Sanctuary in the Piankatank River

NEWPORT NEWS, VA.--Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced a $500,000 grant from The Nature Conservancy to support the construction of a large-scale oyster sanctuary in the Piankatank River near Fishing Bay in Middlesex County, a project aimed at bolstering oyster stocks throughout the river.

Construction on the $3.8 million project—a joint venture between the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, The Nature Conservancy, the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—began on May 26, 2014. Additional sanctuary reefs at the location will be constructed next year. The sanctuary is situated in a part of the river that will provide optimal oyster larvae distribution through the river, increasing the chances the larvae will produce oysters far beyond the sanctuary's boundaries.

"This oyster sanctuary will help clean the water, provide habitat for crabs and fish, and will be a prime source of larvae to create future generations of oysters in the Piankatank River,'' said Governor McAuliffe. "I am deeply grateful for The Nature Conservancy's generous grant to help make all this happen. This is an exciting initiative."

The project is part of the Corps' goal to restore 10 Virginia tributaries for native oysters by 2025. The $500,000 grant, given to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), will be the state's funding match for the first phase of the project. The reef will be off-limits to oyster harvesting.

"Through the support of our donors, we are pleased to provide the essential funding to move this large-scale oyster project forward,” said Michael Lipford, Virginia Director of The Nature Conservancy. “This represents a great public-and-private partnership that will benefit recreational fisheries, the oyster industry and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.”

The Conservancy’s grant to VMRC for the non-federal match component of this project was made possible by two grants from The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation and the Virginia Environmental Endowment that were matched by private donors and public funds.

A single adult oyster can purge as many as 50 gallons of water a day. Large-scale reefs are necessary to achieve a self-sustaining oyster population in a water body. Focusing ecological restoration efforts at a large-scale is the strategy most likely to ensure that large populations of oysters persist in the face of oyster diseases and other environmental factors.

"Over my past two and a half years, I have been continually amazed by the ingenuity I find among the various groups with whom we serve," said Colonel Paul Olsen, 57^th Commander of the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "The use of recycled concrete, in lieu of valuable oyster shell, for our Nation's sanctuary reefs is just one example of how this ingenuity directly translates into affordable, effective, and sustainable projects for the region."

The reef project will experiment with the use of clean ground concrete as substrate. Ground concrete is less expensive than building the entire reef out of oyster shells. Building the reef foundation with clean ground concrete will allow the state to conserve oyster shells for oyster aquaculture operations and for VMRC's annual oyster replenishment program, where empty oyster shells serve their most productive uses.

"We need a less costly, equally safe and effective substrate for our oyster sanctuary reefs so we can continue the tremendous progress we have made in restoring Virginia's oyster harvests through replenishment shell plantings and to continue to surge in the production of oyster aquaculture products," said John M.R. Bull, Virginia Marine Resources Commissioner.

The clean ground concrete, the size of an oyster shell, will be transported by truck to a mobilization site and loaded onto boats by a loader and conveyor and then deployed within the sanctuary boundaries.

The four partners in this project, VMRC, TNC, the Corps, and NOAA will monitor the sanctuary to determine if this type of substrate can be used successfully and safely in future oyster reef sanctuaries. The Virginia Marine Police will work to ensure the sanctuary remains off limits to all oyster harvesters.

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Virginia Posts Largest Oyster Harvest Since 1987

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2012-2013 Oyster Harvest Jumps almost 60 Percent from Previous Year

Virginia Oyster Totals Grow From 23,000 Bushels in 2001 to 406,000 Bushels in 2013; Dockside Value Increases From $575,000 to More than $16.2 Million in Same Period

**Over Past Four Years, Commonwealth Has Invested Record $3 Million in Oyster Restoration Efforts**

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that Virginia’s most recent oyster harvest has greatly exceeded recent years, reaching the highest level since 1987. The 2012-2013 harvest of 406,000 bushels was also 60 percent greater than just one year prior. The oyster recovery has taken place as the McDonnell Administration has led efforts to invest in the job-creating industry, which had an economic value of $42.6 million last year. The $2 million for oyster restoration included in the current budget is the greatest appropriation for the sector in Virginia history.

“This is very gratifying news, even better than I’d hoped,’’ Governor McDonnell remarked. “Good management has allowed us to put Virginia’s exceptional oysters on dinner plates around the world, creating good jobs, and generating new revenue for our state. Today’s announcement should also remind consumers everywhere to grab some delicious Virginia oysters next time they’re at dinner or in the store; thanks to Virginia’s sound management practices there are more for everyone to enjoy.”

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s harvest data showed 406,000 bushels of oysters were harvested in the 2012-2013 season, up from 257,000 bushels harvested in the previous year. This is an almost 60 percent increase from year to year.

The harvest boom came from both wild-caught oysters and from dramatically increased yields in oyster aquaculture operations on privately leased water bottoms.

The agency had projected Virginia’s oyster harvest last year potentially could reach 320,000 bushels but the year-end numbers revealed the harvest was, in fact, a whopping 406,000 bushels. Of that, 149,000 bushels were harvested from public oyster grounds and another 257,000 bushels were harvested from privately leased oyster grounds.

“We had high expectations for the oyster harvest, but this is substantially better than we dared to hope,’’ said VMRC Commissioner Jack Travelstead. “This year’s oyster season opened last month and the initial reports we’re hearing indicate we’re off to a very good start. The oysters being caught are big, tasty, and plentiful.”

The previous year’s (2011-2012) harvest totaled 124,000 bushels from public oyster grounds and another 133,000 bushels from oyster aquaculture operations.

“Over the past 12 years, the oyster harvest in Virginia has exploded from 23,000 bushels in 2001 to 406,000 bushels in 2013,” said Doug Domenech, Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources.  “In that time, the dockside value of the oyster harvest increased from $575,000 to more than $16.2 million.”

The ripple effects through the economy from last year’s unexpectedly large oyster harvest resulted in an estimated $42.6 million in economic value, using a multiplier of 2.63 on a dockside value of $16.2 million, a formula established by the late Dr. James Kirkley, a well-respected Virginia Institute of Marine Science seafood industry economist.

The state’s oyster harvest is poised to increase even further, if weather and other environmental factors remain unchanged, due to this year’s historic $2 million investment in oyster replenishment. This is a program in which empty oyster shells are spread on state-owned public oyster grounds to provide habitat so naturally occurring oyster larvae can attach to the shells during spawning and grow to form new adult oysters that reach market size in roughly three years.

“This investment provides significant ecological and economic benefits, and will present consumers with more delicious, high-quality Virginia oysters in the years to come,” said Anthony Moore, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources, who leads the restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. “This is substantial progress for the health of the Bay, for oyster-loving consumers and for watermen in this difficult economy.”

A single adult oyster can purge up to 50 gallons of water a day. Oyster reefs provide important forage and refuge habitat for invertebrates, as well as juvenile crabs and finfish species. VMRC estimates every $1 spent by the state to plant oyster shells yields $7 in economic benefits in the form of larger harvests and increased jobs for oyster harvesters, shuckers, and packing houses.

General Fund appropriations for oyster replenishment funding have ranged from zero to as much as $1.3 million over the past two decades, and have never surpassed the $2 million allocated to the program in the 2014 state budget. The appropriation was proposed by Governor McDonnell and approved by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year.

“Good fisheries management, prudent investment, and a business-friendly regulatory environment has put us in the most satisfying position of seeing a remarkable resurgence of Virginia’s oyster industry,’’ said Kim Huskey, executive director of the Virginia Seafood Council. “This is very good news, but more work needs to be done.”

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Governor McDonnell Tours Oyster Shucking House Bustling with Increased Harvest Activity

Chargrilled oysters (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

~ Over past decade Virginia’s oyster harvest increased ten-fold; Dockside value increased from $575,000 to more than $8.75 million~

Last year’s harvest largest since 1987; Preliminary estimates predict continued growth this year

Virginia is the largest East Coast producer and the nation’s third largest overall producer of marine products

WEEMS– Governor McDonnell today toured Kellum Seafood Company’s oyster harvesting, shucking and packing facility in Weems, located in the Northern Neck along the Rappahannock River, to witness first-hand the strides made by Virginia’s oyster industry and to celebrate the industry’s growth in recent years, highlighted by a 28 percent leap in last year’s harvest. Over the past decade, the oyster harvest in Virginia has increased ten-fold, from 23,000 bushels in the 2001 oyster season to 250,000 bushels in the 2011 season. In that time, the dockside value of the oyster harvest increased from $575,000 to $8.75 million in 2011. Virginia continues to be the largest East Coast producer, and the nation’s third largest overall producer, of marine products.

            “Virginia’s oyster industry has made remarkable strides, and indications are this year’s harvest may be the best we’ve seen in the past quarter-century,’’ Governor McDonnell said. “Good management has allowed us to put our excellent oysters on dinner tables around the world, to create good jobs for our citizens and to bring new revenue into our state. And we’re on pace for even more growth in the oyster industry.  As oyster companies like Kellum Seafood continue to grow, they know they’ve got a friend in Richmond. Working with the General Assembly, we’re laser focused on putting in place policies that help job-creators like Tommy Kellum continue to expand their operations, and employ more Virginians in the process.”

            The Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s preliminary harvest reports indicate the 2012-13 oyster season harvest has increased another 28 percent, to more than 320,000 bushels, with a dockside value of $11.2 million, making it the largest oyster harvest in Virginia since 1987.

            Kellum Seafood was founded three generations ago in a one-room oyster shucking house and has grown into an operation that grows, harvests, shucks, packs and ships oysters from water bottom the company leases from the state, as well as oysters caught from public oyster rocks by commercial watermen. Kellum Seafood’s plant has grown over the years to a 10,000 square foot facility complete with storage and on-site U.S. Department of Commerce inspections.

            “The oyster industry is growing and has a bright future,’’ said Tommy Kellum, current partner and vice-president of Kellum Seafood and the third generation of Kellums to manage the operation. “I’m so convinced of that that I’m expanding our operations and have recently purchased a new vessel to help accommodate the growth. Growth means jobs. The Governor and his Administration deserve a lot of credit.”

            “Good fishery management has produced excellent results that are bearing fruit in the form of larger harvests, a growing industry and more jobs,” said Doug Domenech, Secretary of Natural Resources. “This is a win for the health of the Bay, for oyster-lovers and for our hard-pressed watermen in these difficult economic times.”

            Thanks to a record $2 million appropriated in the state budget for oyster replenishment by Governor McDonnell and the Virginia General Assembly, VMRC mined fossil oyster shells this summer from the James River (augmented with available empty oyster shells from shucking houses such as Kellum Seafood) and planted roughly 1 billion individual empty oyster shells on public oyster grounds. It was enough to fill approximately 4,000 dump trucks.

            Those empty shells will become homes for naturally occurring oyster larvae that attach to them during spawning and grow to form new adult oysters that will reach market size in roughly three years. The replenishment program provides significant ecological as well as economic benefits. A single adult oyster can purge up to 50 gallons of water a day. Oyster reefs provide important forage and refuge habitat for invertebrates, as well as juvenile crabs and finfish species.

            “While some of these oyster replenishment shells went onto our oyster sanctuaries, the majority went onto our new rotational oyster harvest areas, meaning they will be untouched for several years as they grow to adulthood and spawn a new generation of oysters before they can be harvested,” said Virginia Marine Resources Commissioner Jack Travelstead. “It is important they be harvested at that point because otherwise they are susceptible to two diseases, Dermo and MSX, which kill adult oysters. We don’t want to see these oysters wasted to disease.”

            VMRC’s Dr. Jim Wesson estimates every $1 spent by the state to plant oyster shell yields $7 in economic benefits in the form of larger harvests, and increased jobs for oyster shucking, processing, packing and shipping houses.

            Over the past five years of rotational harvests, the harvest off public oyster grounds has almost quadrupled, from 36,000 bushels in the 2008 oyster season to 137,000 bushels in 2012.  If oyster replenishment funding is continued at its current level, and environmental conditions remain unchanged, Wesson estimates the harvest from public oyster grounds could grow to 200,000 bushels in 2016 and that combined with anticipated increases in oyster aquaculture production, could push Virginia’s oyster harvest to 500,000 bushels in 2016 – which, if realized, would be a 56 percent increase from the preliminary 2012 harvest level.

            “The significant gains in oyster aquaculture over the last few years have solidified the Commonwealth’s position in the global marketplace as a top producer of the highest quality oysters,’’ said Todd Haymore, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. “The Governor has promoted Virginia's outstanding marine products, including our world-class oysters, on all of his domestic and international trade missions, resulting in new sales to key markets along the East Coast and to Asia and Europe. With fortified domestic marketing efforts and new Virginia agricultural trade offices now open in China and Great Britain and one to open soon in Canada, we expect more sales opportunities in the months ahead for our oyster producers and exporters.”

            The Virginia seafood industry is one of the oldest industries in the United States and one of the Commonwealth's largest. According to the Virginia Marine Products Board, the marketing arm of Virginia's seafood industry, Virginia is the nation's third largest producer of marine products, behind only Alaska and Louisiana, with total landings of almost 495 million pounds in 2011, the most recent year with full economic data. The dockside value from these landing to watermen alone was just under $192 million.

            Agriculture, under which Virginia seafood industry falls, and forestry are Virginia's largest industries, with a combined economic impact of $79 billion annually: $55 billion from agriculture and $24 billion from forestry. The industries also provide approximately 500,000 jobs in the Commonwealth according to the Weldon Cooper for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

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