Virginia Oyster Suppliers Struggle As Oyster Population Drops

BATTERY PARK, Va. Oyster trader Joe Melzer Jr. gets regular visits from the state Department of Health. His business, Pagan River Dockside Seafood Inc., is rarely tagged for a violation.

Not so on a recent December morning. An inspector issued a citation after finding a brown grocery bag inexplicably left inside an oyster cooler.

Melzer was perplexed. He hadn’t seen the bag while locking up the afternoon before, and nothing seemed amiss in the morning.

The mystery unraveled, literally, as he unfurled the bag and found dozens of ham biscuits. Turns out a friend with a key had left the foodstuff overnight.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Daily Press