Maryland Is Our Oyster, Oysters Are Our Maryland

Oysters have played a pivotal role in Maryland’s economy for centuries. Not only to they generate economic activity for counties because they are delicious, but shellfish aquaculture and restoration give counties an innovative and affordable option for nutrient reduction practices. oyster-989182_1280

It’s no surprise that these Bay gems would spark conflict over how to take advantage of all they have to offer without depleting them for future generations. Fortunately, Bay Journal reports that oyster aficionados from opposite ends have recently had a “meeting of the minds” in terms of how to reach this balance:

…[A]fter two years of meeting behind closed doors, some of the people who’ve been lobbing verbal grenades at each other — watermen and environmentalists — have buried enough of their differences to agree on a wide-ranging set of recommendations for restoring oysters in a pair of Eastern Shore rivers while also aiding the industry that depends on harvesting them.

That’s the outcome of OysterFutures, a $2 million research project aimed at forging consensus on how to achieve both a thriving oyster fishery and ecosystem in the Choptank and Little Choptank rivers.

Read the article here.

Learn about how oysters play a pivotal role in driving Maryland’s economy from experts at the Oyster Recovery Partnership during the MACo Summer Conference general session, “The Wealth in Our Water.”

The Conference will be held August 15-18 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. This year’s theme is “Water, Water Everywhere.”

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: