US Virginia Eastern oyster - cages, dredge and tongs

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Overview

The Eastern Virginia oyster fishery occurs in the coastal areas of Virginia and targets the species Crassostrea virginica. There are five UoAs, based on harvest method and hatchery and non-hatchery stocks. This fishery is enhanced based on MSC FCP v2 7.4, and not based on introduced species. 

The UoAs are :

  • UoA 1:  Tongs and patent tongs from habitat enhanced areas with natural spat set and seed transfers.
  • UoA 2:  Dredges and hand scrapes from habitat enhanced areas with natural spat set and seed transfers.
  • UoA 3:  Tongs and Patent tongs from habitat enhanced areas with hatchery seed transfers plus natural spat set.
  • UoA 4:  Dredges and hand scrapes from habitat enhanced areas with wild stock hatchery seed transfers plus natural spat set.
  • UoA 5:  Cage production with wild stock hatchery seed transfers.

 

FIP Description 

The Eastern Virginia oyster fishery occurs in the coastal areas of Virginia and targets the species Crassostrea virginica. There are five UoAs, based on harvest method and hatchery and non-hatchery stocks.

FIP Objective(s) 

Achieve MSC Certification by 2026

  • Objective 1 (PI 1.1.3, 1.2.5, 1.2.6):  Understand the impact of hatchery production on genetics of wild stocks
  • Objective 2 (PI 2.4.2): Understand the impact of clutch deposition in leased areas on marine vegetation
  • Objective 3 (PI 3.1.1):  Understand what rights Indian tribes have to oysters
  • Objective 4 (PI 3.1.3):  Assure that the management system has long term objectives consistent with the precautionary approach
  • Objective 5 (PI 3.2.1):  Develop explicit fishery specific objectives for the oyster fisheries
  • Objective 6 (PI 3.2.2):  Assure that the decision-making process uses the precautionary approach
  • Objective 7 (PI 3.2.2):  Assure information on the fishery’s performance and management is available
  • Objective 8 (PI 3.2.3):  Assure no systematic non-compliance in the fishery
  • Objective 9 (PI 3.2.4):  Establish regular evaluation of the management system
FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
April 2021
April 2026
Next Progress Report Due 
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Species 
Common Name 
Eastern Oysters
Scientific Name
Crassostrea virginica
Gear Type 
Cages
Dredge
Tongs
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 21 (Atlantic, Northwest)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
United States of America (the)
Geographic Scope 
Coastal waters of Virginia
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
24,000 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
24,000 metric tons
Landings Date 
April 2022
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
April 01, 2021
4% 18% 57% 21%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

A Advanced Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Oct 2024
Target End Date
Apr 2026

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Virginia Seafood Council
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
A.J. Erskine
Organization Name 
MRAG Americas
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Bob Trumble
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
15384