Raising Blue Points: Then and Now in Great South Bay

 

Raising Blue Points: Then and Now in Great South Bay

The rich, briny waters of Long Island’s Great South Bay have long been home to one of the most prized delicacies in American seafood: the Blue Point oyster. A 1909 article from The National Magazine highlighted just how specialized and labor-intensive Blue Point oyster farming was even then—and how strictly regulated the name "Blue Point" had to be.

“Only 9,000 acres are under cultivation in the entire Blue Point district,” the article noted. “Yet from these 9,000 acres come 700,000 bushels of oysters annually… Less than one-sixth of the annual crop is native to Great South Bay.”

The process wasn't about growing oysters from scratch. Instead, juvenile oysters—often from Long Island Sound or Gardiner’s Bay—were brought into the Bay to mature. The water’s unique conditions gave Blue Point oysters their celebrated flavor, shape, and texture. But even in 1909, oyster fraud was rampant: restaurants and distributors were labeling oysters from other regions as “Blue Points.” In response, the New York legislature enacted a law stating:

"No person, firm or corporation shall...sell any oysters under the name of Blue Point oysters other than oysters that have been planted and cultivated at least three months in the waters of the Great South Bay in Suffolk County."

The term Blue Point became legally protected—at least within New York State.

A Short History: The Rise, Fall, and Return of Great South Bay Oysters

According to the article, native oysters in the Bay began disappearing around 1810, and by the 1820s, they were nearly extinct. Prices skyrocketed, and large, old oysters became almost mythical in size. Around 1850, Captain Joseph Avery, a resident of Blue Point, revived the bay's industry by importing seed oysters from Virginia in Blue Point near his childhood home. These successfully spawned, reestablishing the bay as a fertile ground for cultivation.

Blue Point Oysters Today

As of recent data, Blue Point oyster farming still thrives, though on a smaller, more sustainable scale and they are not biologically the same as when they were first planted. Unfortunately, the Hurricane of 1938 wiped out the original harvested oyster species. However, Suffolk County oyster growers today focus on high-quality, boutique production over volume as they were originally intended.

• Estimated current production: Approximately 1 million to 1.5 million oysters per year are marketed under the true "Blue Point" name.

• Area under cultivation: Still roughly 9,000 acres in Great South Bay.

• Employment: Hundreds of workers are still involved in planting, harvesting, and distribution, many of them family-run operations.

Thanks to improved environmental protections, local stewardship, and consumer demand for authenticity, Blue Point oysters have retained their prestige in the culinary world. True Blue Points are now a symbol of Long Island heritage and sustainable aquaculture.