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Baynes Sound Oysters

We are pleased to announce that we will begin distribution of a new line of oysters starting next week!  That’s right!  We have recently aligned ourselves with one of the premier fisheries of Canada’s Baynes Sound. Just so we’re all on the same page here…Baynes Sound is the (relatively small…+/- 25 miles in length and a couple miles across at its widest point) body of water which runs between Denman Island and Vancouver Island, and is fed by the much larger Strait of Georgia (which separates Vancouver Island and its many smaller neighboring islands from mainland British Columbia).  The Strait of Georgia is in turn fed by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which serves as the international boundary between the United States and Canada, and also feeds the Puget Sound to the South.  The Pacific Ocean supplies nutrient rich waters for all the aforementioned bodies of water.  Whew!  Everybody strai(gh)t on that?  Enough geography…

Now then…The oysters…All of the varieties we are sourcing through Baynes Sound are Crassostrea gigas.  That is to say, Pacifics.  While Baynes Sound is somewhat diminutive, it bears mention that it is also one of the richest oyster grounds of the Pacific Northwest.  In fact, in recent years, Baynes Sound has been responsible for producing no less than 58% of the oysters to come out of all of British Columbia on an annual basis.  Our partners on Baynes Sound are stewards of seven intertidal “tenures” (similar to leases) located within the territorial grounds of the K’omoks First Nation.  These tenures are still managed and maintained by the indigenous peoples of the region, a fact which no doubt has much to do with why the natural resources have remained both healthy and prosperous throughout the years.  Consider the mandate of the fishery’s Environmental Stewardship Program is “CLEAN WATER-Our Responsibility, Our Legacy”.

The oysters which we are sourcing through Baynes Sound are similar to one another, just as different varieties from Hood Canal or Malpeque Bay will share many of the same qualities.  That said, there are subtle differences in the flavor profiles of each individual oyster reflective of the specific tenure on which they are grown out.  The average salinity of Baynes Sound is 28 parts per thousand (ppt), which I would consider to be fairly middle of the road (the average salinity of the Earth’s oceans is 35 ppt), and this figure will vary slightly on each tenure.  The oysters are all started in a hatchery, and are transferred to a nursery until they reach roughly an inch or so in diameter, at which point they are transferred to different tenures and start to develop their of distinct characteristics.  Here’s a brief run-down on the varieties we will be sourcing.  All varieties are available in 100 count units unless otherwise stated.

• Comox Petite: A J.P.’s Shellfish exclusive, the Comox Petites are beach grown on the northern end of Baynes Sound.  The tiny shells (+/- 1.5”-2” in diameter) are deeply cupped, and contain meats which are dark and velvety.  The medium salinity of the Comox Petites is followed by a mild, cucumber finish.
• Goose Spit:  Goose spit oysters are grown out alongside the Comox Petites, and as such share many of the same complexities of flavor.  Overall size, however, is markedly more robust.  Goose Spits are coming in at roughly 2.5”-3”, and shells are both deeply fluted and vibrantly colored. 
• Gartley Beach:  The Gartly Beach tenure is southwest of that of the Goose Spit.  These beach grown oysters sport a black mantle contrasted by ivory meats, and the textured shells are 3”-4” in length.  Size wise, the Gartley Beach oysters may be the most universally acceptable oyster of the region.  Gartley Beach oysters are available in 50-count units.
• Tree Island:  Tree Island oysters are grown out away from Vancouver Island, and as such, have a slightly greater salinity than the oysters from neighboring tenures.  Shells are hard, colorful, and meats which possess the rich creaminess of texture and flavor which defines Baynes Sound oysters.
• Buckley Bay:  From the southernmost tenure fished by the K’omoks First Nation, Buckley Bays are deeply cupped and coming in at around 2.5” in length.  Meats are full, light, and lead with a clean, bright flavor which is yields to a mild cucumber finish.  

All varieties are available 12 months a year, and pre-orders are both encouraged and appreciated.
Please contact us for further clarification on the aforementioned or any J.P.’s Shellfish product or service.

Please email info@jpshellfish.com or call 207-439-6018 for more information on this and or any other J.P.'s Shellfish product or service.