Oysters, My Oysters

I have felt so virtuous for so long because of my love of oysters. They are always on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch "best choice" list; the low-impact aquaculture used to grow them seems to often clean the water they're grown in, since they eat plankton and algae they filter out of the water. Plus, for me here on the West Coast, plenty of supremely delicious oysters are awfully local.

Yet the New York Times reported today that one oyster farm is under threat of losing its lease with the National Park Service due to environmental impacts - from harbor seal threatening to eelgrass destruction - various studies have found. The farm refutes the accusations of damage (the seals are simply all at a different sandbar, visitors and tourists destroy more eelgrass that oyster farm boats), but my vision of the perfect nature-commerce balance is forever sullied, at least a little bit. I am reminded that eating well, eating sustainably, eating my principles is a never-ending balancing act of information and compromise and moderation.

Happily, it is not oyster farming in general that is under attack, just a particular operation in a unique place by specific people. Different studies have come to different conclusions. As interested as I am in reading about and deciphering the science, I am equally fascinated by questions of history and tradition and community that come up in this discussion (the oyster farm has been there for over 70 years), which all seem important in discussions of sustainability, too. I'll keep you posted.