We know it’s a momentous task to bring back the Chesapeake’s oyster population. Overfishing, pollution, and disease have lowered oyster harvests to less than one percent of peak totals that once reached 15 million bushels. But we are driven by the singular goal of working with our federal, state, non-profit and community group partners to establish a sustainable future for the Bay’s most important bivalve.

It begins with re-seeding oyster beds in Maryland and Virginia’s designated sanctuaries — improving water quality and providing a natural and safe habitat for blue crabs, rockfish, perch and other marine life. And – equally important – it includes planting in reserves where watermen can continue to fish productive harvest bars for commercial sale.

Planting is conducted via two methods. After meeting required counts set by the state, we load our vessels with spat-on-shell. Reaching the planting site, juvenile oysters are then deploy in baskets or washed from the deck using a water cannon. On-board marine GIS is used to verify pre-identified planting locations.

We are available to plant oysters on both shores of the Chesapeake. Our current work – under contracts with our holding company WRF Group – is focused on the Eastern Shore in two primary areas: the sanctuaries located in the bays and tributaries of the Eastern Bay region in Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties and the sanctuaries and reserves of Fishing Bay and Tangier Sound in Dorchester, Wicomico and Somerset counties fed by the Blackwater, Honga, Nanticoke, Wicomico and Transquaking rivers.

Oyster restoration and planting would not be possible without the partnership of federal, state, non-profit and private organizations that have worked with Seed to Shuck Ventures.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Maryland Department of Agriculture

Oyster Recovery Partnership

National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration

United States Department of Agriculture

Southern United States Trade Association

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Laboratory

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Virginia Marine Products Board

Advocates for Herring Bay

Citizens of Wye River

Dorchester County Seafood Heritage Association

Wicomico County Watermen’s Association

Somerset County Watermen’s Association

Madison Bay Shell Recycling

Ferry Cove Shellfish

Ward Oyster Co.

Oyster Seed Holdings

Whitman Wharf Seafood

Clements Creek Ventures