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 May, results of the 2025 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey were released by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). The annual cooperative survey estimates the number of blue … 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
In June, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that the state’s shellfish aquaculture operations harvested a record 94,286 bushels of oysters in 2023. “Though the shellfish aquaculture harvest is small in comparison to the public fishery, it is growing … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) recently announced the results of the 2024 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey. The annual cooperative survey estimates the number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake … Continued