WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins regarding significant oyster mortality in the Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Virginia. The losses have coincided with recent algal blooms and low dissolved oxygen levels affecting oyster populations throughout the region. Reports from growers in Coastal Virginia have signaled significant mortality, leading to the loss of not only market-sized and grow-out oysters, but seed oysters as well. These are detrimental losses to this year’s harvest and could impact next year’s harvest if action isn’t taken.  

The letter requests that the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) assess the losses suffered by the Commonwealth’s commercial oyster growers and determine whether the impact of these blooms qualify for Secretarial natural disaster designation. 

Congresswoman Kiggans said, “Our hardworking oyster producers and harvesters are critical to the Commonwealth’s economy. As the representative of a coastal district and member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, I have a responsibility to ensure our producers have the resources they need when unforeseen circumstances threaten their livelihoods. These conditions could potentially impact harvests for years to come, which is why I’m urging the USDA to assess whether the damage qualifies for federal assistance and help Virginia’s oyster growers recover.” 

If USDA issues a Secretarial natural disaster designation, eligible oyster producers in designated primary and contiguous counties may apply for FSA Emergency Farm Loans to help recover from qualifying disaster-related losses. FSA evaluates each application individually based on the producer’s losses, available security, repayment ability, and other eligibility requirements. 

Here is our draft quote: “Virginia’s oyster growers are facing significant losses that could impact harvests and livelihoods for years to come,” said Rep. Wittman. “Rep. Kiggans and I are urging the USDA to act quickly to assess these losses and ensure affected growers have access to disaster assistance. Our watermen and aquaculture producers are vital to Virginia’s coastal economy, and I will continue working to ensure they have the resources they need to recover.”

Read their letter here.

If you’re an oyster producer experiencing serious production loss due to the algal bloom, the Office of Congresswoman Jen Kiggans encourages you to reach out to the Accomack County FSA Office at 757-787-0918. 

Background:    

• Virginia is a national leader in shellfish aquaculture, ranking first nationally in production of hard clams and Eastern oysters, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Virginia shellfish aquaculture generated approximately $81 million in direct farm sales in 2024, up 52% from 2018.

• On September 22, 2026, VIMS researchers reported that the recent harmful algal bloom expanded from the mainstem Chesapeake Bay into waters along Virginia’s Eastern Shore, with bloom activity documented in Nassawadox, Hungars, and Cherrystone creeks. Researchers continue to monitor the bloom, associated low dissolved oxygen conditions, and impacts on shellfish and other marine life.

• In their letter, Reps. Kiggans and Wittman ask USDA to work with VIMS, Virginia Tech, state and federal agencies, and other scientific partners to determine the scope and cause of the mortality and identify affected counties that may qualify for disaster designation and assistance. 

• Harmful algal blooms are a recurring issue in the Chesapeake Bay. VIMS first conclusively identified Alexandrium monilatum in the Bay in 2007, and blooms have occurred nearly annually since, typically during the late summer months. The species produces goniodomin A, a toxin associated with harmful effects on oysters, oyster larvae, fish, and other marine life.

• Previous blooms have raised similar concerns within Virginia’s shellfish industry. In 2015, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and VIMS documented an unusually extensive Alexandrium bloom across the lower Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads, accompanied by reports of oyster, fish, and crab mortality, although researchers did not establish a direct causal relationship at the time.

• Federal and Virginia researchers have been studying the threat to oyster aquaculture for years. Following major blooms in 2015 and 2016, NOAA funded VIMS and Virginia oyster growers to study how harmful algal blooms affect oyster survival and identify ways producers could reduce future mortality. NOAA continues to support Chesapeake Bay monitoring and forecasting of Alexandrium and other harmful algal blooms.