Virginia Oyster Gardening Guide

Short Description
“Guide to Virginia’s Laws, Regulations & Requirements. for Marine Shellfish Aquaculture Activities. … Obtained from the “Virginia Oyster Gardening” Manual.

Website: www.deq.virginia.gov | Filesize: 197kb

Content
10
How to Start and Maintain an Oyster Garden
Step Four: Get a Permit
It’s important because…
Getting a permit for oyster gardening is a simple
process, it’s free, and it’s for your own protection and
benefit. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission
issues oyster gardening permits. They have provided the
simple application form on page 11 that you can cut out,
fill out, and mail in to them.
This permit will authorize you to use state-owned
waters near your property for the noncommercial culture
of shellfish. In other words, it allows you to grow oysters
in public waters for your own personal consumption
or use, but it does not allow you to sell those oysters
commercially. Selling oysters commercially requires
other permits from VMRC and the Virginia Department
of Health. VMRC does not currently apply size or season
harvest regulations to cultured oysters grown for noncommercial
purposes.
When you get a permit, you are on record at the
VMRC as an aquaculture site. A record of permits with
the locations of oyster gardens makes it possible to get a
better estimate of how many cultured oysters are in state
waters and what positive effect they may be having on…