Oysters and clams are good for dinner and great for the environment.
Merroir, Restaurant, oysters, Oysters Carrie
Want to help the environment? Eat oysters and clams!
There’s a vividly recognizable flavor to shellfish that just isn’t there in chicken, beef, or pork, and no one appreciates it more than us here in Virginia. But did you know that farming oyster and clams provide a number of economic and environmental benefits?
Harvesting shellfish helps improve sediment quality by loosening and dispersing silt and muck, and it also adds oxygen to bottom waters and sediments. According to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, a single adult oyster can purge 50 gallons of water a day. If that wasn’t enough, shellfish farming reduces harvest pressure on wild stocks, while increasing the overall number of shellfish that help clean the water and serve as habitat for fish and crabs.
Plus, shellfish aquaculture is a sustainable and green industry in Virginia. Oyster gardening under private piers and along the shoreline of privately owned waterfront property is increasingly popular among environmentally concerned citizens.
Merroir in Topping serves oysters farm-raised on site by Rappahannock Oyster Company. You can also enjoy local oysters from Hungars Creek at The Shanty in Cape Charles, which also features local crab, conch, and clams on its menu for a well-rounded taste of Virginia’s waters.
