Don’t break out the champagne to go with those oysters — at least not just yet.
Virginia’s oyster industry, the largest on the East Coast, has survived the pandemic, but growers and producers throughout the commonwealth’s eight oyster regions are still facing a long road to recovery, industry representatives said.
After decades of overharvesting throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, Virginia oysters underwent a renaissance in the first decade of the 21st century. The state has poured millions into oyster restoration and reef construction, not only because of the centuries-old industry’s economic potential, but also because oysters provide some of the most effective filtration of sediments and algae from bay waters.
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