Tom Gallivan and Ann Arseniu Gallivan are the proud owners of Shooting Point Oyster Company, farming from one of the last standing Eastern Shore oyster houses in Bayford, Virginia. They have cultivated oysters on Nassawadox Creek for over a decade, helping preserve and advance the region’s aquaculture legacy.
Annie has been a driving force in developing Shooting Point Oyster Company. She is also recognized as one of the East Coast’s most successful shellfish hatchery managers. Her background includes working with fish and shellfish on both coasts and even commercial fishing while studying at The College of the Atlantic in Maine.
From the early days of growing oysters on cinder blocks and rebar racks to today’s advanced hydraulics and hundreds of purpose-built cages, Ann has always maintained a hands-on presence on the farm.
Tom comes from a family with deep roots in the commercial fishing industry. In the late 1970s, he watched his father fish for striped bass in Chatham, Massachusetts, and later followed the family to Maine, where they worked on a commercial dragger.
In the 1980s, Tom and his younger brother fished pots out of Yarmouth, Maine. He later worked on a commercial gill netter on Georges Bank, developing a lifelong passion for the ocean and its resources.
As traditional fisheries declined, Tom pursued a degree in Aquaculture from the University of Maine, graduating in 1996 with the goal of making a sustainable living from the sea.