State Oyster Initiatives

The State of Maryland has operated an oyster restoration program in some form since 1960. For many years the focus was on aiding the declining fishery, while more recent efforts focus on restoring oysters for their ecological value to the Bay. Restoration activities fall into two general categories, producing oysters and restoring oyster habitat. The State also recognizes that it needs to explore new techniques and options and has taken actions to look at what has been done and what can be done differently for a more successful restoration program.

Hatchery Raised Oysters

The majority of oysters produced for restoration activities come from the University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Oyster Hatchery. Upgrades to the hatchery could result in production rates up to 2 billion spat per year once fully operational.

The Department of Natural Resources has also re-started its Piney Point Oyster Hatchery which will be able to produce an additional 10 to 100 million oyster spat per year. More information on the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery can be found here http://hpl.umces.edu/hatchery/home.html

Restoring Habitat

Along with the decline of the oyster population, the acreage of oyster habitat has been estimated to be declining by 3,600 acres per year. Much of the oyster’s habitat has become silted over, leaving many former oyster bars with little or no hard substrate upon which oyster larvae can settle. Restoration of habitat is a critical part of the State’s oyster restoration programs. Preparing bottom to receive a spat planting or in an area to catch a natural spat set, clean hard substrate is an important step in any project to insure the best chance for survival. Be it natural oyster shell, alternate materials (like concrete or stone) or bar rehabilitation activities, the State is exploring multiple ways of providing the needed habitat.

Exploring New Ideas

In 2004 the State of Maryland along with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, an Environmental Impact Statement for Oyster Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay was begun. The final report was released in the Spring of 2009 and recommended the expansion of oyster restoration using our native oyster. Five years of studies provided a great deal of data on the oysters current situation and possible new avenues to explore. More information on the findings can be seen here http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/infocus/oysters.asp

The Oyster Advisory Commission

The Maryland Oyster Advisory Commission was convened in 2007. A group of 21 scientists, watermen, anglers, businessmen, economists, environmental advocates, and elected officials the commission was charged with advising the state on matters relating to oysters and strategies for rebuilding and managing the oyster population in Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The Commission released its 2008 legislative report in February 2009 which offered a multi-faceted strategy for restoring the Chesapeake’s native oyster population and revitalizing the State’s beleaguered oyster industry. The report and more information on the Commission can be found here http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/oysters/index.html