Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Monday that Virginia’s oyster harvest has jumped 25 percent, climbing from 409,000 bushels in 2012 to 504,000 last year.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which regulates oyster harvesting throughout the state, encourages the gardening and farming of oysters for both economic reasons — creating jobs and a product to ship — and the environment. Oysters act as natural filters: A single oyster can filter up to 60 gallons of water per day, according to VMRC.

“The growth we’ve seen in the oyster harvest is extraordinary, but hardly a surprise,” McAuliffe said in a news release, referring to Virginia as the East Coast’s oyster capital. “Virginia produces the best tasting oysters in the world, and every sustainably-harvested oyster helps clean the Chesapeake Bay and create good jobs in a tough economy. There is no question that Virginia is for oyster lovers.”

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