Another Step in the Right Direction for Chesapeake Bay

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Recreational anglers won a significant victory last week when the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), under the leadership of Secretary C. Ronald Franks, withdrew its application to dredge fossil oyster shell in prime striped bass spawning grounds at Plum and Worton Points in the upper Bay. Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA MD) led opposition to the dredging of the area’s historic oyster reefs, which would have destroyed critical fish habitat and spawning grounds for Maryland’s state fish, the striped bass.

“CCA Maryland continues to chip away at the practices that have combined to lower the water quality and habitat of the Chesapeake Bay,” said State Chairman, Don Silliman. “Combined with the victory for a cap on commercial menhaden harvest that we shared in last week, the withdrawal of this permit is another link in the chain of events that need to happen to restore the Bay. There is no silver bullet to fix the Bay. It’s going to take steady progress and that is how CCA is approaching this huge task.”

The Maryland DNR sought the permit to dredge fossil oyster shells to build new oyster reefs and support the “put and take” oyster fishery, a noble intention that has been a failure on many levels for decades. The DNR dredging plan has cost millions of dollars and destroyed acres of essential fish habitat only to have siltation render much of the dredged shell useless after just a few years.

“We hope the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will give up its efforts to destroy fish habitat in the name of oyster restoration,” said CCA MD Government Affairs Chairman Dr. Ken Lewis. “You have to question the state’s motives to continue to spend over $1 million a year on this part of their oyster repletion program, when even the oystermen admit it has failed. CCA Maryland is ready to join with DNR to seek effective, innovative techniques to restore native oysters for their ecological value.”

DNR had never been effectively challenged over the dredging of fossil oyster shell until CCA Maryland became concerned in 2002 with their plan to dredge Man O’War Shoal, a popular fishing site for both recreational and commercial fishermen.

CCA Maryland’s concerns were mirrored by federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency, in our opposition to DNR’s application. All three federal agencies shared CCA Maryland’s concerns about the potential negative impact on essential fish habitat and endangered species, as well as outdated and incomplete data that DNR had used in support of its application.

CCA Maryland will continue to support Governor Ehrlich’s commitment to the Bay by promoting the restoration of the native oyster using alternative materials for building oyster reefs. These materials include limestone marl, clam shells, environmentally approved construction materials, and the tens of millions of bushels of previously spread fossil oyster shell that can be responsibly reclaimed.