With the amended Shellfish Area Condemnation # 010-105 (PDF version), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has closed the Little Wicomico River to shellfish taking save for harvesting as permitted by VMRC. The amendment is dated November 5, 2026.
Molluscs (oysters, clams, scallops, etc.) and crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, and shrimp) make up the category “shellfish.” However, VDH shellfish closures only involve molluscs. The reason, according to VDH, is that bivalve molluscan shellfish “may concentrate bacteria and viruses from the water, and since their intestinal tract is often eaten raw.”
In their November 3 Salmonella update, WHRO mentioned four important elements of the evolving story. First, that testing continues after results cleared the company. Testing continues to find the water contaminated and investigators seek the source. Second, the strain of Salmonella is linked to animal waste. Third, drought and excessive rain “can boost the bacteria.” Fourth, the Salmonella is having a negative effect across the seafood industry. To the last point, reporter Pamela D'Angelo writes,
Even though it is specific and isolated to that growing area and one Virginia dealer, the rest of the shellfish industry in Virginia are getting phone calls from customers that are saying they’re questioning the safety of Virginia oysters in general. Even on the national level this is not very good press for people that consume shellfish when they say “Gosh I don’t want to eat shellfish because I hear now it has salmonella.” They don't equate it to only a certain growing area and one dealer it’s “Hey we hear that Virginia's oysters have salmonella. Don't buy them.” And then on the national level “Hey salmonella is in oysters so don’t eat oysters.” So it has a lot of wide-ranging impacts,” Erskine says.
Erskine is Alan J. (A.J.) Erskine, VP of Cowart Seafood in Lottsburg and a Virginia Marine Resources Commissioner.
Myles Cockrell, owner and operator of the Little Wicomico Oyster Co., spoke before the Virginia Marine Resources Commission at the October 27 meeting. Given the vast negative effect on the company and employees, Cockrell asked for permission to move oysters to shore or another body of water. The Commission denied the request on procedural and material grounds.
The commission did not issue an emergency permit at the meeting. Staff described ongoing coordination with VDH, the FDA and other agencies and said VMRC enforcement has allowed lifting cages on-site and returning product to the water but not landing product ashore while the public-health investigation continues. The chair and enforcement staff emphasized they cannot authorize actions that conflict with VDH condemnation until public-health agencies provide further guidance. (Source)
As suggested by Cockrell and Erskine, and in several media reports including the WHRO story, the outbreak affects more than one company.
Following weeks of chatter IRL and on social media, some of which has been uninformed and other outright lies, Coastal Seaplanes spoke out on Facebook about the shellfish taking prohibition and Salmonella outbreak, calling out media companies which have overblown the threat of the industry. The company writes on Facebook,
Clarity is everything.
Coastal Seaplanes is partnered with several small oyster farms and aquaculture organizations along the Chesapeake Bay, and we’re very proud to support these companies and the communities they serve.
Recently, some news outlets have released headlines that have cast the entire region under the same shadow that one small company was unfortunately facing. This is not only grossly inaccurate, but also damaging to the entire VA aquaculture industry that works so hard to keep aquaculture alive and healthy throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
This letter from Virginia Department of Health is a clear example of strong leadership, and we commend Sarah Good for providing clarity on this situation.
Enjoy oysters from your local growers!
Two final items. The first is the letter from VDH’s Sarah Good (PDF) referenced by Coastal Seaplanes. Noteworthy are two ideas:
It is essential to distinguish the company, the harvest area and harvest dates from the wider distribution of shellfish harvested in Virginia.
VDH oversees more than 90 shellfish growing areas covering four major rivers and their tributaries, the Chesapeake Bay, and estuaries of the Atlantic Ocean. VDH also certifies over 180 shellfish dealers to harvest and distribute shellfish. Shellfish products harvested from the other Virginia growing areas and/or distributed by other Virginia dealers are not impacted by the closure or recall.
The second is weather and climate as is signalled by the drought. The US Drought Monitor, as shown to the right, tells us the Northern Neck along with most of the rest of the state is abnormally dry. This NOAA drought map represents data from January 1 to November 3, 2026.
The Department of Environmental Quality connects the dots between rain and drought:
It’s been raining. Why is there a drought?
Precipitation is only one of many factors considered by the Drought Monitoring Task Force when they evaluate drought conditions. Other indicators include groundwater levels, reservoir levels, soil moisture, and streamflow.
Despite recent precipitation across much of the state, rainfall remains below average. . . (Source)
