Watermen react to report indicating declining Chesapeake Bay Health
CAMBRIDGE, Md. – The latest report on the health of the Chesapeake Bay indicates potential problems for businesses on the water.
Researchers from the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Studies report that, over the last year, the health of the Bay has declined, particularly in the vicinity of Dorchester County.
Mason Little is the owner of Choptank River Crab and Oyster Company, a fish market that depends on catches from the Chesapeake Bay. He tells us the health of the Chesapeake impacts all watermen.
Little says, “Guys here in Cambridge and down below really survive on the market here. Whether it’s crabs, or oysters or fish, anything. Everybody works off the water here. So it’s important that we keep it healthy and you know, safe for generations to come.”
One big change noted in the report, that oxygen levels in the deepest depths of the Chesapeake have fluctuated.
Waterman Brandon Beville said that it can determine how he makes his living.
Beville told us from his boat, “Lack of oxygen will make marine life travel to places where they can find it. And so in places that you’ve normally been where they catch crabs, they’ll move somewhere else to find it.”
Now facing declining Chesapeake Bay health, watermen and businesses like Little’s are working with other groups to address the issues.
“It’s their livelihood, you know. They’d better look after it. So I definitely say to everybody, make sure you’re doing your part and keeping the bay unpolluted,” says Little.
The report was done by the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science.
And researchers say the largest cause for the Bay’s decreasing health is the extreme weather we saw in the area last year.
Little says, “If the crabs have got any bad water, they’re gonna get away from it. But something like oysters, it’s way more concerning because they can’t move. So if they are in a polluted area, they’re going to have to be recalled by DNR, or put on sanctuary…”
Last year the bay’s health around the Lower Eastern Shore was ranked at 55 percent; this year, it’s 50 percent.
