One of Virginia’s prized natural resources is its oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay, and groups that support the slimy little filter feeders were at the Capitol Wednesday to ask for support.
“Let me show everyone how to do this correctly," said Prince William County Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy before slurping down a tasty oyster from the Chesapeake Bay. She prefers to season her oysters with hot sauce — Texas Pete specifically — but she’s also interested in supporting the industry that helps oysters come back every year.
Tanner Council is with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. He’s asking legislators for about $150,000 to support an oyster shell recycling program. The money would go to businesses and farms to help them “get that shell.”
“There’s a common misconception, we’re trying to save the oysters so we should eat them too? Yes," he said. "We want to eat as many aquaculture oysters as we can, support that industry, and we take that shell and put it back into the water for restoration purposes.”
Council said oysters prefer clean shells to grown on — making the husks of their eaten brethren the perfect candidates.
As for Carroll Foy, she said she’ll do her part to support an increasingly important business in the Commonwealth.
“This industry plays a role in protecting our fisherman and everyone out there making a living for themselves and making sure we get great seafood to the people of Virginia and across the country,” Carroll Foy told Radio IQ.
And Council was feeling good about their budgetary ask.
As for the oysters, I think we all share Carroll Foy's belief: “I like to slurp, it's really good.”
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
