11 Million New Oysters in New York Harbor (But None for You to Eat)
NEW YORK — The restoration of New York Harbor has reached a new milestone as 2021 draws to a close: 11.2 million juvenile oysters have been added in the past six months to a section of the Hudson River off the coast of lower Manhattan, where they are helping to filter the water and creating habitats for other marine life.
The bivalves will not be headed to a serving platter; the waters are still too polluted to eat from freely, after absorbing centuries’ worth of trash, sewage and industrial waste. But the water quality in the area is steadily improving, and oysters — which were once so prevalent in the waters that they served as a staple in New Yorkers’ diets — are playing a key role in the shift.
The city was once one of the world’s great oyster capitals, exporting millions of them across the country and around the globe. They were sold from street stands, saloons and barges. New Yorkers of all social classes could enjoy them, whether raw, roasted, pickled, fried or in chowders, sauces and stews.
In his book “The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell,” author Mark Kurlansky writes that the history of New York oysters is a history of the city itself. Years of overharvesting and environmental degradation left the waters so fouled that oysters could not even survive there for a time. Now, in addition to the ones being introduced, wild ones are being found on the bottoms of piers off the West Side of Manhattan and in the Bronx.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-million-oysters-york-harbor-191406413.html
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