State to Celebrate ‘Eat Maryland Oysters’ Day on August 5!

Photo Credit: Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP)

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan has issued a proclamation declaring Sunday, August 5, “Eat Maryland Oysters Day.” This celebration will coincide with National Oyster Day celebrations across the country. In addition to promoting the consumption of delicious Maryland oysters, Maryland’s Best Seafood—a program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture—has partnered with the Oyster Recovery Partnership to promote their Shell Recycling Alliance, which reclaims oyster shells so that it can be used as substrate for the oyster restoration process.

“Maryland’s oyster industry has a rich history of producing some of the best quality oysters in the world,” said Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “This is a great opportunity to celebrate that heritage while supporting our watermen, aquaculturists and local restaurants. Oysters also play an important role in the state’s efforts to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.”

In celebration of National Oyster Day, participating restaurants in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., will donate 10 cents from each oyster sold to the Oyster Recovery Project. Each oyster sold will fund the planting of 10 baby oysters onto sanctuary reefs in the Chesapeake Bay!

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 nearly 8 billion oysters on 2,460 underwater acres throughout Maryland.

For more information on ORP’s Give Back to the Bay on National Oyster Day and to view a list of participating restaurants, visit nationaloysterday.org.

Visit MarylandsBest.net for more information on local oysters and Maryland seafood.

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