Each oyster sold August 2-5 will help plant 10 baby oysters
Participating restaurants throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania Virginia and Washington D.C. will donate 10 cents from every oyster sold Friday, August 2 through Monday, August 5 to the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), the leading nonprofit working to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster population. As part of Give Back to the Bay on National Oyster Weekend, each oyster sale will help plant 10 spat (baby oysters) onto local oyster reefs. This weekend celebration culminates with National Oyster Day, Monday August 5.
“This campaign serves as a celebration of local seafood and the hardworking watermen and aquaculturists who supply it, while supporting important Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration projects,” said ORP Executive Director Stephan Abel. “We encourage everyone to do their part by visiting these generous restaurants who have committed to a healthier Chesapeake Bay.”
The more than 80 restaurants participating in Give Back to the Bay on National Oyster Weekend are also members of ORP’s Shell Recycling Alliance, which reclaims oyster shell so that it can be used as substrate for the oyster restoration process. Most of the oysters enjoyed this coming weekend are produced through aquaculture practices and supply much needed shell used to rebuild oyster reefs in the Chesapeake.
“The Mt. Washington Tavern has been a dedicated member of the Shell Recycling Alliance since it was established nearly a decade ago,” said Rob Frisch, owner. “We’re grateful that ORP has continued this important work, and for the continued opportunity to celebrate and support our great asset, the Chesapeake Bay.”
ORP works collaboratively with its restoration partners to deploy shells with spat attached onto strategically-selected sites in the Chesapeake Bay. These efforts aim to bolster oyster populations and recreate large, healthy reefs last seen 50 to 100 years ago.
Oysters are a critical species to the Bay’s long-term recovery because they filter excess nutrients and serve as habitat for a multitude of marine life. Over the past two decades, the Oyster Recovery Partnership has planted approximately 7 billion oysters on 2,400 underwater acres throughout Maryland.
Give Back to the Bay on National Oyster Weekend is generously sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. To learn more about Maryland oysters and Maryland seafood, visit marylandsbest.net.
For more information on Give Back to the Bay on National Oyster Weekend and to view a list of participating restaurants, visit nationaloysterday.org.
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Media contact: Karis King; [email protected]