Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced it will maintain its current oyster harvest regulations for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
Oyster restoration efforts and conservative management are working, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), which supports staying the course.
Maryland’s oyster population has nearly tripled over the past 20 years, and the state is expected to reach its goal of fully restoring the oyster habitat in five Chesapeake Bay tributaries by the end of 2025. CBF believes this is a critical juncture. As such, the state should continue to build on that success with more investment in oyster restoration and continued responsible management of the oyster fishery.
“Our effort to bring oysters back from the brink in Chesapeake Bay is working, but continued recovery is not guaranteed,” said Alison Colden, CBF’s Maryland Executive Director in a statement. “That’s why we support DNR’s decision to maintain its current harvest regulations for this season.”
Colden acknowledged, however, that oyster recovery is not uniform throughout the Chesapeake Bay. The most recent assessment shows more than 80 percent of oyster harvest comes from only eight harvest areas, four of which have been subject to unsustainable harvest rates for years. To mitigate that problem, they urged DNR to delay or stagger opening the harvest areas.
“Oysters are a bedrock of our Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and economy,” Colden said. “Protecting this vital resource, and reversing decades of overharvesting, disease impacts, and loss of habitat will require a long-term strategy and redoubled commitment. We commend DNR for staying the course and encourage further proactive management to protect Maryland’s oyster resource and those who depend on it.”
