Virginia Seafood

Virginia is famous for its blue crabs, mostly in the Chesapeake Bay. Commercial crabbers supply much of the region with top quality crabs. Blue crabs are served steamed whole, as fried or broiled soft crabs, or in dishes such as crabcakes.

Virginia blue crab numbers have declined in recent years. The total harvest of crabs has dropped from 94 million pounds in 2000 to 67 million pounds in 2006. 2007 Chesapeake Bay blue crab populations were estimated at 143 million, down 70 percent from previous levels.

Over harvesting, loss of underwater grass beds and oyster reefs, sea surface temperature changes and declining water quality are all contributing factors in the decline of Chesapeake Bay and Virginia crab populations.

Virginia has a wealth of finfish. Virginia fish include flounder, rockfish, sea bass, gray trout, drumfish, spot, croaker, sharks and more.

Summer Flounder

Flounder are the most popular Virginia fish among seafood lovers. They are typically 2-8 lbs with mild tasting white flesh. Flounder are served in a variety of ways, the most common being filleted and fried or broiled. Virginia flounder are sometimes stuffed with local crab meat and then baked.

Striped Bass or "Rockfish"

Striped Bass, known in Virginia as rockfish are a heavy bodied saltwater fish. They have a distinctive flavor and firm flaky meat. Rockfish are available wild caught or farm raised. They are delicious fried, grilled or broiled. Rockfish are commonly a few lbs although 50 lb fish are sometimes caught.

Bluefin Tuna

For the most part bluefin tuna are a sport fish in Virginia. They are plentiful from June thru late summer and Virginia charter boats are ready to provide excellent fishing from ports such as Chincoteague Island and Wachapreague

Yellowfin Tuna

Virginia has excellent catches of yellowfin tuna from late spring thru late fall. In addition to catching fresh tuna on a charter boat or private boat, seafood lovers will find fresh yellowfin tuna in local restaurants and seafood markets in season.

Blackfin Tuna

Blackfin tuna are the smallest of the tuna species, generally growing to about 36 inches, weighing 10-40 lbs. Blackfin tuna are found in the western Atlantic from Cape Cod to Brazil and are occasional visitors to the Virginia Coast. Blackfin have dark blue backs, silvery-gray flanks and white undersides. Most fish have a bronze-colored line down each side.

A reliable way to distinguish blackfin from other tuna is the color of the small finlets located behind the dorsal and anal fins. In the other four species, they are yellow or yellow, edged with black. In the blackfin, they are distinctly dusky or yellowish.

Gray Trout

Virginia is home to gray trout or weakfish. These fish historically have wild population fluctuations. Virginia anglers and seafood lovers enjoyed enormous numbers of fish thru the 1970's and 80's. The fishes numbers fell drastically after and these fish are less common today.

Gray trout and their close cousins the speckled trout are both attractive fish with silvery sides. The fillets are soft and flavorful. These fish can be as small as 12 inches but can also reach weights of 10 lbs or more.

Atlantic Croaker

Atlantic Croaker or "hardhead" are popular saltwater fish common along the mid-Atlantic region and Gulf Coast of the USA. The fish get their names because of the "croaking" noise the make when removed from the water. Croakers are caught by recreational fishermen as well as harvested commercially. They are very popular in local seafood markets from spring thru late fall.

Spot

Spot occur in the Chesapeake Bay and along Virginia estuaries and coastal waters. Both anglers and Virginia seafood market shoppers seek spot because of their excellent flavor and value.

Virginia Is fortunate to have a rich history of oyster harvesting. The Chesapeake Bay once held enormous amounts of oysters and some oyster harvesting still occurs there.

Virginia is known for its excellent oysters. The seaside areas of Virginia also produce some of the highest quality oysters on the USA east coast. Chincoteague Island is known for it's excellent salty oysters and other seafood. The James river and other Virginia areas also yield high quality oysters.

Virginia sales of wild and farmed product totaled close to 5 million oysters in 2007. While this is far from the millions of bushels of wild oysters that were once harvested, recent advances in oyster aquaculture have saved the industry and demand is stronger than ever for high quality live oysters for raw consumption.

Hard clams are caught wild or grown in much of Virginia waters. Watermen harvest clams by hand much as it was done 100 years ago. Other workers use patent tong rigs to catch wild hard clams in waters of the Chesapeake Bay or inshore coastal areas. In addition to wild clams, Virginia is a leading state for farm raised hard clams. Virginia clam operations sold over 200 million clams in 2007.

Aquaculture is now the predominant means of shellfish harvesting around the world. Virginia was ranked among the top ten US Aquaculture producers by the USDA 2005 Census of Aquaculture. This high ranking was achieved due to the strength of the shellfish aquaculture industry.

A 2003 Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service report showed that hard clam and oyster aquaculture had gross sales exceeding $23 million. Another study calculated the value for hard clam and oyster sales (seed and market) to exceed $32.0 million in 2006. The Virginia shellfish culture industry is expected to expand in the next few years.

The following are some of the seafood delicacies that you might find during your fishing adventure to Virginia.

Clam Chowder - a rich soup using clams, vegetables and either a tomato based or dairy based broth.

Clams - The most popular are hard clams which are eaten raw, steamed or in dishes such as chowders.

Lobsters - large crustaceans, highly prized as a seafood delicacy. Northern or American lobsters are caught off the coast of Virginia and are sometimes sold locally.

Mahi-mahi - dolphinfish; a brightly colored pelagic fish found in the open ocean of the Virginia coast. Mahi mahi is a white fish with a distinctive flavor. The meat is high in Omega 3 oil. Mahi mahi is often grilled or broiled.

Oysters - shellfish, often served raw or steamed in the shell. Virginia oysters are widely recognized as being among the best oysters on the USA east coast.

Shrimp - a term for several species of small crustaceans. Wild American shrimp include white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum), royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus or Hymenopenaeus robustus) and rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris). Shrimp are caught in nearby North Carolina and immediately trucked to Virginia.

Fishermen and seafood lovers can also visit www.fresh-seafood.net for a wide range of articles, news, recipes and suppliers of top quality fresh seafood that is available locally or shipped to your door.

Prized by cooks and diners, sea scallops are considered by many to be the most appealing of the shellfish. Sea scallops have a delicate flavor and tender texture. Scallops are at their peak flavor when fresh, but may also be frozen.

Scallops are trawled or dredged, and quickly returned to port or shucked at sea and kept on ice for the trip ashore. The commercial scallop fishery in the USA is heavily regulated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The sea scallop fishery is the largest and most valuable wild scallop fishery in the world, and in 2007 was the most valuable single-species fishery in the United States. Recent landings have been worth about $400 million dock-side.

Hampton Roads, Virginia is a major a major landing port for sea scallops and ranks among the top 10 U.S ports for economic value of landings.

Seafood festivals are a great way to celebrate the seasons and enjoy a few hours of relaxation and of course, sample some great seafood. Some seafood festivals focus on one delicacy, such as lobsters, oysters, shrimp or crabs.

Other events will have a broader approach, with many of the local varieties of local seafood on hand. Often one price gets you in a festival with many items available for no further charge. Other festivals simply change an admission price and then provide an array of vendors who sell specialty seafood creations and other fun foods.

Eastern Shore of Virginia Seafood Festival

The mother of all Virginia seafood feasts! This event serves oysters, clams, scallops and fresh fish served all-you-can-eat treat at Tom's Cove Campground on Chincoteague Island. For more information visit www.esvachamber.org

Chincoteague Oyster Festival

The fall festival in Chincoteague Island Virginia serves raw oysters on the half shell as well as steamed, single fried, and oyster fritters. Other food includes clams on the half shell, clam chowder, clam fritters, steamed crabs, cole slaw, potato salad, hush puppies, hot dogs and Pepsi. For more information, visit www.chincoteagueoysterfestival.com

Cape Charles Harvest Festival

The Harvest Festival is held at Sunset Beach Resort near Cape Charles Virginia. Enthusiasts celebrate the Eastern Shore's harvests of produce and seafood. The event features all-you-can-eat soft shell crabs, shrimp, crab cakes, sweet potato pie, fried green tomatoes and more in a beautiful waterfront setting. Includes a tent full of local art to enjoy and take home.

Urbanna Oyster Festival

The Annual Urbanna Oyster Festival is held in November in Urbanna Virginia. The event is sponsored by the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation, a non-profit organization. Crowds for the two-day event number nearly 75,000. The event has over 125 food and craft booths and the Fireman's Parade features over 80 engines of every size and description. For more information, visit www.urbannaoysterfestival.com