A recent Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) report details the significant growth of the oyster population and substantial progress toward the state’s oyster management goals for the past five years. The report is part of the department’s commitment to … Continued
In August, the state of Maryland released information about its pollution reduction targets set under the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement to improve water quality. Based on the most recent information from the Chesapeake Bay Program’s pollution model, Maryland achieved … Continued
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
In December, during its annual meeting at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Executive Council approved the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The agreement includes goals that will improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, increase access … Continued
The 2025 Maryland benchmark assessment indicates that oyster populations have grown significantly in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay waters over the past 20 years. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science released the summary … Continued
Preliminary results of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ annual Fall Oyster Survey indicate that Chesapeake Bay oyster populations are healthy. After a remarkable year for oyster reproduction in 2023, the survey’s 2024 spatfall intensity index, a measure of reproductive … Continued
Baltimore Port Alliance members have joined a multi-organizational effort to support oyster restoration in Baltimore harbor and the Patapsco River. In October 2024, with support from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), members of Vane Brothers’ Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has selected the next three sites for large-scale oyster restoration in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, marking the beginning of the state’s next phase of major oyster restoration. DNR will conduct oyster … 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