Virginia is home to nearly 120 commercial aquaculture operations that saw a total of $55.6 million in sales last year. Among them were 17 operations selling crustaceans—soft-shell crabs, freshwater prawns and saltwater shrimp; 26 operations selling food fish like hybrid striped bass, catfish, tilapia and trout; 80 selling oysters and clams; and three selling ornamental fish. More than half of the state’s 2013 aquaculture sales, $41.5 million, were for mollusks, divided almost evenly between clam sales and oyster sales.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released findings from its 2013 Census of Aquaculture on Sept. 29. The census is the third that NASS has conducted; the previous census was conducted in 2005.
While the number of Virginia aquaculture operations in the commonwealth is down 19 percent from 2005, sales showed a 26 percent increase.
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