This category has news about Chesapeake Bay commercial fishing, crabbing, oystering, clamming and other commercial harvests of seafood.
In February 2026, Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) notified stakeholders of the the Virginia public oyster fishery that the agency adopted emergency regulatory actions to provide relief following recent ice cover and challenging market conditions. At the February 24th VMRC … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced a two-week extension of the 2025-2026 wild oyster season. The extension is intended to help watermen make up for lost harvesting opportunities after many waterways and parts of the Chesapeake Bay … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is launching two pilot programs in coordination with its Invasive Catfish Advisory Committee aimed at curbing the spread of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Applications are now open for … Continued
Amory Seafood in Hampton recently received a state grant through Virginia’s Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program. The $247,000 reimbursable grant will allow the company to increase its processing capacity and purchase more blue catfish from local … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) estimates that over 430,000 bushels of oysters were harvested commercially in Maryland from October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. This was the fifth season in the past 30 years when the harvest … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued season limits for the 2019-2020 oyster harvesting season. Effective immediately, the 2019-20 season will begin October 1, 2019 with no commercial harvesting on Wednesdays, and temporary closures to wild harvesting in … Continued