Olympia Native Oyster

Print this Page Send to a Friend

The Olympia Oyster?also known as the Oly Oyster?is native to the west coast of the US and was widely over-harvested by American Indians and later European settlers to the point of depletion. Sustainable cultivation in the Puget Sound of Washington State began in the 1930’s, but rapidly declined due to pollution from an emerging pulp and paper industry.  At this point, Oyster production shifted to larger and more resistant species, which were imported from Japan.  The Olympia Oyster is typically the size of a 50-cent piece.

The Olympia Native Oyster is now hand harvested by a few family-run shellfish farms, and local organizations such as the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, who are committed to restoring this oyster in its natural habitat.

Sources

Willapa Bay Shell Fish
PO Box 43
Ocean Park, WA 98604
360-665-4688

Olympia Oyster Growers Association
130 Lynch Road
Shelton, WA 98584

Olympia Oyster Company
S.E. 1042 Bloomfield Road
Shelton, Washington 98584
360-436-3354
http://www.tbm@olympiaoyster.com

Little Skookum Shellfish
2262 S.E. Lynch Rd
Shelton WA 98504
360-426-5451

Find Producers on LocalHarvest

http://www.localharvest.org/ark-product.jsp?id=223