Recent efforts to restore the health of the waters of the Chesapeake Bay have been both resilient and productive. While historic, pristine conditions of the Bay may never be achieved, constant and dedicated cooperation between residents of the watershed has done much to restore it as much as possible. In Yorktown, Virginia a new partnership called the "Oyster Company of Virginia" has been created by businessmen, local watermen, and scientists alike. This company aims to restore the populations of the native oysters in Virginia in order to fulfill the greater goal of cleaning up the waters of the Bay via filtration of algae and phytoplankton. By paying anywhere between $175 to $50,000, members will be contributing to the training and equipment of aspiring watermen/oyster farmers. On October 14, 2010 in Yorktown, there was a briefing between officers of the new company and state delegates. Some of the main aspects of this new company that were discussed include the use of old shells and concrete to create artificial oyster reefs and the idea of buying nitrogen "credits." The artificial reefs would mitigate nitrogen pollution, which is one of the greatest hazards to the health of the Bay. Also, the nitrogen credits would be bought by sewage treatment plants and other factories from the reefs, which are owned by the new company, if they are struggling to meet the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency known as the "pollution diet." This idea would be similar to that of the cap-and-trade system involving carbon dioxide emissions. This idea of "nutrient trading" is supported by the McDonnell Administration as Virginia seeks to meet the pollution diet. Advisors of the project include the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in Gloucester Point, VA and the Army Corps of Engineers. Scientists at VIMS have evidence of the effectiveness of concrete reefs in the Rappahannock River in absorbing the harmful nutrients that cloud the waters of the Bay. W. Tollar Nolley, head of the new company says that he and his officers have been meeting privately with other scientists, watermen, and oyster farmers for months while also having reached an agreement with Reeftek Inc., who will help finance the concrete structures.
Oyster farming is a business that extends far beyond the borders of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In Louisiana, oyster production and sale account for about 4,800 jobs. The sustainable sea farming techniques associated with the production of oysters is termed "aquaculture." Aquaculture focuses on the sustainable human consumption of oysters while avoiding overconsumption. A study by the University of Southern California suggests that global and ocean warming will rearrange the food web of the Arctic in such a way that favors smaller organisms, like oysters, while fish populations dwindle. The study also refers to the importance of a "Blue Revolution" that promotes a sustainable seafood industry, much like the Green Revolution's effect on the food industry.
Another study supplies an analysis of the economic feasibility of using oysters to clean water in comparison to typical wastewater treatment chemicals. Yet another study that solidifies the argument for the benefits of aquaculture involves the Solomon Islands of the Pacific Ocean, most notably the difficulty in earning income. Successful aquaculture can increase the yield of inshore marine species by raising "cultured juveniles." In South Korea, oyster aquaculture has greatly contributed to the successes of hatchery-based seed production and temperature manipulation to control the reproduction of the oysters. Since 2000, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has been working hard to restore the populations of native Bay oysters through aquaculture. By 2004, 3.6 million oysters had been grown by their oyster farm and then transplanted onto the sanctuary reefs of 17 states in 9 Virginia tributaries in the Bay. The CBF Oyster Aquaculture Program was created in response to the growing threat over nitrogen pollution in the Bay from sewage treatment plants.
This idea of the Oyster Company of Virginia is an ideal one in that it would act as a great way for residents of the watershed to contribute to a kind of Blue Revolution that promotes sustainable aquaculture. In addition, it would provide corporations with an incentive to reduce the nitrogen levels within their effluent by trading credits. Both scientific evidence and the declining health of the Bay are enough to motivate individual residents and companies to pool together to help mitigate some of the effects of man-made pollutants. The practice of aquaculture is cost-effective, sustainable, and beneficial to both marine oyster populations and the sustainability of the jobs of watershed residents.
I live in the Chesapeake Bay area, and I completely agree that something has to be done about the declining oyster population. The oysters in the Chesapeake could once filter the entire bay in just a week, and now it would take the remaining oysters over a year. The oysters are soon going to be almost nonexistent, and the bay continues to get more polluted as time passes. That combination is very dangerous for both the humans and the animals that rely on the bay. A cap-and-trade system might be hard to monitor, but could also significantly improve the water quality and the habitat of these oysters. Although there would be little deterrent to further reduce pollution, like we discussed in class, this program could be worth a try. However, I think efforts also need to be more focused on preventing overfishing of the oysters.
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