’s Vision for Oysters

Establish an expanding and sustainable population of native oysters in significant portions of and its tributaries.

Establish a private aquaculture industry that emerges as a major economic contributor to the State of Maryland while maintaining a more targeted and scientifically managed wild oyster fishery.

Photo © Michael Eversmeier Status of Oyster Population and Industry

The average number of reported oyster harvesters between 2002 and 2006 was 529. This is a significant decrease from the more than 2,000 harvesters that the oyster fishery supported prior to the disease epizootics of the mid-1980s.

Oysters harvested from Chesapeake Bay decreased from over 2 million bushels/year in the 1980’s to just over 100 thousand bushels in 2008-2009.

Overall adult abundance in 2008-2009 was approximately 3.5 billion oysters, 1% of the historic population. MARYLAND’S 10-POINT OYSTER RESTORATION PLAN 1. Focus on targeted restoration strategies to achieve ecological and economic goals 2. Expand the sanctuary program 3. Support a more focused and scientifically managed wild oyster fishery 4. Shift commercial production to aquaculture 5. Rehabilitate oyster bar habitat 6. Manage against oyster disease 7. Increase hatchery production 8. Enhance law enforcement 9. Increase citizen involvement 10. Integrate inmate labor Maryland’s Proposed Oyster Sanctuary Network

Proposed sanctuary areas include the , the area between the mouths of the Patapsco and Back Rivers bounded by the main channel, Upper St. Mary’s River, Point Lookout, Little , Upper , mainstem portion and lower tributaries of Choptank River, and area between the main channel and shore from Hooper Strait to Smith Island.

Of the 36,000 acres of remaining quality habitat in the Bay, this proposal would increase the amount of habitat to be protected as sanctuaries from 9% to 24% How Were the Proposed Sanctuary Areas Identified?

In order to help set criteria for selecting new sanctuary areas for the Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan, data from the Fall Survey for 1996 – 2007 were analyzed to identify Maryland’s most productive oyster bars. Process for Identifying Maryland’s Best Oyster Bars Each year, the Maryland Fall Oyster Survey records the number of live and dead oysters in 3 size classes for 25 regions in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Any bar having 4 or more years of high market oyster counts (top 10% relative to the other bars) received a “best bar” designation. Some characteristics of these 18 “best bars” are that they are: - Primarily located north of the Patuxent River. - Primarily located on the Eastern Shore. - Typically associated with more low and medium salinities and some type of recent rehabilitative treatment (application of dredged shell, fresh shell, and/or seed oysters). - Concentrated most highly in the regions of Choptank River tributaries, the Little Choptank River and .

Photo © Michael Eversmeier Proposed Areas Available for Aquaculture Leasing

Approximately 600,000 acres newly available for leasing (except for shellfish health closure areas, distance setbacks, shipping channels, etc.), including 95,524 acres of formerly off-limit natural oyster bars. Proposed Public Shellfish Fishery Areas

Aquaculture leasing would not be allowed in the proposed public shellfish fishery areas. This proposal would maintain 167,720 acres of natural oyster bars for the wild oyster fishery, including 76% of the remaining quality oyster habitats. Aquaculture Enterprise Zones Pre-approved aquaculture lease areas.

The pink shaded areas above are the first Aquaculture Enterprise Zones. They are near Broomes Island on the Patuxent River. Regulations to establish these areas became effective in October. Permits are pending, and these areas should be available for leasing in 2010. MD Coastal Bays Proposed Aquaculture Leasing Map

Chincoteague Bay

Leasing will be allowed throughout except within SAV beds and the Assateague Island National Seashore boundary. Focus on targeted restoration strategies

Maryland is implementing multiple strategies for native oyster restoration using a targeted approach. We will set goals to maximize ecological benefits, facilitate population recovery and create positive outcomes for the commercial oyster fishery.

An Example from the Side scan sonar technology was used to survey the bottom profile of the river. The green line at right shows one of many tracks taken by the survey vessel. Data taken along that path is shown in cross-section below. The firm mounded areas with dark outlines correspond to the red shaded areas on the map to the right. These spots are indicative of current or historical oyster beds and shell present in the Severn.

IF BOTTOM IS: We combine spatial information FIRM / SHELL LIGHTLY SILTED MUDDY with historical oyster bar data

No Dredge thinly buried No (blue polygons above) to help action shell to surface action determine the best locations for rehabilitation (red shaded areas). Placement of Placement of Dredge deeply additional alternate buried shell to Knowing the average salinity in dredged, substrate surface and the tributary allows us to select clean shell aggregate from an appropriate suite of IF SALINITY IS: restorative actions at each site. LOW MIDDLE HIGH The flowchart at left is a simple, (5-11) (11-15) (>15) ecologically-based representation of the targeting process. Plant disease- Repletion, i.e., placement of Allow natural free hatchery spat on shell recovered from reproduction raised oysters one of Maryland’s seed areas to occur Maryland Oyster Restoration & Aquaculture Redevelopment Plan Timeline

Jan 2003 Environmental Impact Statement Initiated

Sept 2007 Oyster Advisory Commission Formed

Feb 2009 Oyster Advisory Commission Issues Legislative Report

May 2009 Governor O’Malley signs Aquaculture Lease Law

June 2009 Environmental Impact Statement Completed

Dec 2009 Governor O’Malley Announces Proposed Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan Plan Available for Review at www.dnr.maryland.gov

Dec 2009- Jan 2010 Public Scoping Process Oyster Advisory Commission Briefing Anne Arundel County Open House Queen Anne’s County Open House Dorchester County Open House Calvert County Open House Fishery Advisory Group Briefings

Feb 2010 DNR Submits Regulatory Package (02.19.09)

April 2010 Pubic Hearing and Comment Period

May 2010 Proposed Regulations Scheduled Adoption (05.31.09)