Fishermen. farmers. family and friends.
Oysters are the Wellfleet way of life and Wellfleets are our oysters.
For more than 400 years, the hardworking people of Wellfleet have pulled perfection from the sea.
400+ YEARS
Wellfleet has a centuries’ old shellfishing heritage and thousands of fishermen families have been part of the story of the Quintessential American Oyster.
130+ FARMS
Hundreds of hardworking farmers continue Wellfleet’s time-honored tradition of sustainable aquaculture.
90+ FISHERMEN
Nearly one hundred intrepid individuals brave the wind and weather to wild harvest oysters in Wellfleet.
Resolve & Resilience
Embodying optimism and grit, passion and resilience, the oyster farmers and wild harvesting fishermen of Wellfleet are in sync with nature, while producing a superior oyster for the worldwide marketplace.
FARMERS & FISHERMEN
Skilled and determined, the shellfishing men and women of Wellfleet rise for the early tides and battle harsh weather to harvest the perfect oyster. As a community, they work to sustain an incredible natural resource.
Aquaculture
In the early 1800s, Wellfleet’s native oyster population was nearly depleted, so townspeople imported juvenile oysters from other regions and launched what’s known today as modern day aquaculture. Now, Wellfleet has over 136 shellfish farms, tended by dedicated men and women who help make Wellfleet the third largest shellfish producing region in the state.
Wild Harvesting
There are 93 shellfishing men and women who harvest wild oysters on Wellfleet’s intertidal flats. They are a hearty and committed bunch, who live by the tides, contending with driving rain, summer heat and winter cold, to bring the quintessential American oyster to the marketplace.
“Besides growing shellfish, the shellfish grow families.”
