The Nature Conservancy and Partners to Buy 5 Million Surplus Oysters from Shellfish Farmers Affected by COVID-19 Crisis

Washington, Oct. 21 -- The Nature Conservancy today announced it will help struggling oyster farmers impacted by COVID-19 and the economic downturn by purchasing 5 million surplus oysters and using them in nearby oyster restoration projects. The initiative is done in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts and in coordination with similar efforts undertaken by U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

For the next two years, the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) initiative aims to extend $2 million in payments to oyster farmers to support more than 100 shellfish companies and preserve over 200 critical jobs in northern New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Washington st...