Decline of oysters means much of Chesapeake Bay could be off-limits for harvesters

The Chesapeake Bay is synonymous with seafood, but its waters are not as plentiful as in the past. In parts of Maryland, the oyster population is falling sharply, so a state advisory commission is recommending strict limits be placed on harvesting there, reports David A. Fahrenthold of The Washington Post.

Overfishing and disease have shrunk harvests from an average of 2.5 million bushels a year in the state in 1920 to 104,000 now, Fahrenthold writes. "To fix the problem, the commission proposed ending 'put-and-take' programs, where the government grows oysters and then puts them in the water for watermen to harvest," he writes. "Instead, it proposed making large portions of Maryland's underwater oyster beds off-limits for harvesting."

The remaining areas could be leased to private owners for oyster farms. The report from the Oyster Advisory Commission says more restrictive harvest measures are not enough to restore oysters and that other actions must be taken to minimize disease and address water quality issues. The Maryland Watermen's Association said the plan would hurt its members, who spend the winter harvesting oysters and the summer crabbing. (Read more)