Oyster Farming for Chesapeake Bay Watermen

Goal: To help local watermen communities develop sustainable, small-scale oyster farming and, in a small way, restore oysters to Chesapeake Bay.

The approximately 1,200 residents of Smith Island, Maryland, and Tangier Island, Virginia, are descendants of British settlers who established these isolated Chesapeake Bay communities in the mid-1600s. For generations, their economy and culture have depended on harvesting blue crabs and oysters. As wild oyster populations declined, however, the islands’ watermen faced growing economic uncertainty and fewer opportunities for future generations.

To help diversify the local economy while preserving its maritime heritage, TerrAqua designed an integrated oyster aquaculture initiative modeled on successful programs in France and Ireland. The project envisioned a year-round industry encompassing oyster production, processing, and marketing. Oyster-farming workshops were held on both islands in 1998, followed by a pilot oyster culture program for Smith Island watermen in 1999.

In addition to providing ongoing technical assistance, TerrAqua developed a marketing and business plan (for a copy, click here) and connected watermen with restaurants, seafood retailers, and wholesalers in the Washington, D.C., area. These efforts demonstrated strong market demand for Smith Island oysters and highlighted the value of direct marketing, allowing more revenue to flow directly to producers while leveraging the islands’ unique history and culture as a powerful branding advantage.

Although the commercial project was ultimately curtailed by state shellfish harvesting closures and related regulatory challenges, several watermen continued to grow oysters. The initiative demonstrated that shellfish aquaculture can provide a viable complement to traditional fisheries and laid the groundwork for future efforts to build a self-sustaining oyster industry on the Chesapeake Bay’s historic island communities.

Client: A consortium of state and federal agencies, universities, nonprofits, extension services and watermen. Funded by grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Sustainable Development.

TerrAqua’s role: Help develop and manage the project, and acquire funding.