Busy on the river: On Virginia's James River, the oyster fishery is experiencing one of its best harvests in years

摘要

Cormorants wing low across the water of the James River in Virginia. The morning sun touching the water surface creates a diamond-like sparkle, and the 64-degree air temperature takes away the ordinary February nip in the air. It's an ideal day to oyster, and the James River has a fair share of Chesapeake Bay watermen plying its waters. And why not? Though landings are still well shy of the bountiful harvests once experienced, the fishery is enjoying one of its best seasons in more than a decade; it's estimated that the harvest from the Virginia side of the bay will hit 100,000 bushels.