Facts About Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Seafood

The Virginia seafood industry is one of the oldest industries in the United States and one of the Commonwealth’s largest. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science reported the annual economic impact to be over $465 million dollars. 2003 dockside value to watermen alone was $108 million.
Virginia is the nation’s third largest producer of marine products with total landings of over 751 million pounds in 2003 and is only out paced by Alaska and Louisiana. We also rank as the largest on the East Coast. Reedville, VA is the second largest U.S. fishing port based on landing.
Virginia’s watermen harvest 87 commercially valuable species from some 620,000 acres of water. Among these traditional species in order of economic value, are sea scallops, blue crabs, striped bass, croaker, clams and summer flounder. Watermen are also harvesting more non-traditional products for the international market such as eel, conch, monkfish, and ark clams.
Virginia is home to over 194 seafood-processing plants. Over 6,000 Virginians work on the water–3,050 licensed watermen, their mates and helpers.
The total industry provided more than 11,000 full and part-time jobs for Virginians.
Virginia commercial watermen annually harvest enough seafood to produce over 123,000,000 meals.
Ninety-six percent of the seafood harvested in Virginia is day boat caught. Fish and shellfish are harvested, processed and shipped within 24hours.
According to the College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science research, forty-five counties and cities in Virginia have substantial economic dependency on the seafood industry.
According to Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s statistics, Virginia seafood exports totaled $20.5 million in 2001, an increase of over 325% from 1990. The top countries where Virginia seafood is exported are France, Canada, Hong Kong, Belgium and Japan.
Watermen and processors in Virginia work under economic conditions, environmental conditions and regulations that provide sustainable seafood for customers and for future generations in the business. State and federal law set standards and regulations to ensure sustainable use and equitable distribution of the resource. The Potomac River Fisheries Commission, Mid Atlantic Fisheries Council, the Atlantic Marine Fisheries Commission and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission all manage our fisheries.
Virginia’s quality control and regulatory standards for water quality and processing plants are recognized among the most stringent in the nation. Virginia’s water and product are policed by a number of regulatory agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, Departments of Agriculture; Virginia Department of Health, Division of Shellfish Sanitation; and Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Additionally, Virginia Tech scientists and engineers work with processors to monitor and improve control procedures in shellfish and finfish plants throughout the state.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Americans consumed 16.3 pounds of fish and shellfish per person in 2003. Crab and clams are among seafood's "Top Ten" for 2003.
Virginia is one of the largest US suppliers of fish oil and protein products from menhaden. This herring-like fish is found in abundant quantities in coastal waters off the US mid-Atlantic. According to the federal National Marine Fisheries Service, the nation's menhaden resource is healthy and self-renewing. Menhaden oil, which is rich in long-chain Omega-3 essential fatty acids, is used as a food ingredient and is available in capsules as a nutritional supplement.