Most oysters found in restaurants are farm-raised (Image: Allerina & Glen MacLarty)
Scientists from the Univesity of California found that overfishing, disease, oil spills and modern fishing methods such as dredging have left wild oyster populations at a fraction of what they once were. One scientist told the Independent that they could disappear within a generation if nothing is done to protect them.
Of course, the implications of vastly reduced oyster populations go well beyond the culinary. Oysters are some of the best filters of nitrogen – one of the most harmful aquatic pollutants – in nature. According to the Economist, one oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day. Their shells also help build coral reefs.
These days, most oysters consumed in restaurants are farmed rather than wild (though wild oysters are still caught in the Gulf of Mexico). Still, as a symbolic gesture, it might be worth switching up on aphrodisiacs this Valentine’s Day. In the unproven department, chocolate holds up pretty well.
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