Oyster management review to be released
A long-awaited review of Maryland’s oyster management plan is expected to be released in the coming days.
The state’s Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) has been gathering data to evaluate the first five years of the program, which includes three parts: sanctuaries which prohibit harvesting, public shellfish fishery areas, and aquaculture areas.
According to DNR, “The Department has committed to reviewing the effectiveness of the locations of sanctuaries, public shellfish fishery areas, and aquaculture areas every five years and to propose changes where needed.”
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (“CBF”) says they’re calling for the Hogan administration to consider good science before any changes are made to the oyster restoration plan.
“If we’re only in the beginning stages, do we want to change it now?” questions Maryland executive director of CBF, Alison Prost.
Currently, Maryland has 51 sanctuary reefs closed to oyster harvest.
A spokesperson with DNR confirms secretary Mark Belton has suggested in the past opening some sanctuary oyster reefs to harvesting could be worth considering; however, they say any changes would depend on what is found in the roughly 700 page review.
We’re told report is not considered a ‘policy document’; however, it will incorporate data from the department’s annual oyster survey?.
Prost tells 47ABC five years is too early to make a course correction.
“It took hundreds of years to deplete those oysters and just like the rest of the bay restoration, you have to give a natural resource time to come back,” she explains.
Earlier this month, Belton released a statement on the official DNR website.
He admitted five years is not enough time to rate complete effectiveness or success of the state’s oyster program; however, he says “the report will spur an open and public conversation about the current plan and its future direction.”
According to DNR, the report has also been reviewed by a panel of independent consultants.
We’ll have a copy of the report on our website when it becomes available.
