Environmental Groups Discuss Oyster Replenishment Plans for 2026

(CAMBRIDGE, Md) – The end of 2025 also marks the end of a decade-long plant in Maryland regarding the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay. And we got a chance to speak with a couple of groups involved in that original plan about how they intend to address the oyster population in other Maryland bodies of water throughout the year.

The plan in question is the 2014 Bay Agreement, meant to help create sanctuary reefs in five large tributaries across the bay.

Creating a sanctuary for oysters.

“That large scale makes a difference. And what it’s done in those five tributaries is it has recovered the population in those systems to where they’re now flourishing. They’re also reproducing and they’re providing spat out to other areas,” says Oyster Recovery Partnership Executive Director, Ward Slacum.

Following the initial restoration, those five tributaries are being monitored…

And groups like the Oyster Recovery Partnership and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are looking to how they plan to continue the Bay Agreement in other bodies of water.

Gina Hunt, an Associate Director with DNR tells WMDT, “The Bay agreements now been revised and updated with new goals starting in 2026 through 2040. So we have a new oyster goal of 2000 acres by 2040 for Maryland and Virginia.”

And one of those tributaries for the newly revised project: The Nanticoke River on the Eastern Shore, with a lot of water to cover.

“The project is 151 acres and that is going to start this year. And then we also have Hooper Strait. That is a larger area, about 400 acres that we will be working in restoration,” says Hunt.

The Oyster Recovery Partnership says they plan to start planting oysters in the Nanticoke River starting in April.