Save the Oysters!

   There were once so many oysters in the Chesapeake Bay that in many locations they stuck out of the water at low tide. After all, the name Chesapeake, or “Tschiswapeki”  is Algonquin for “great shellfish bay.  It is estimated that this abundant population actually filtered the entire Bay over and over again each week, since each adult oyster filters about two gallons per hour. This bounty proved to be valuable in other ways as well.

   Indians and then the early settlers surely enjoyed many a salty slurp, but things changed with the advent of mechanical harvesting. By the mid-1800s the take grew from 700,000 at the earliest recorded harvest to over 17 million bushels a year by 1875. While the dredges that decimated New England’s oyster populations were outlawed for a time, they eventually invaded and quickly destroyed the massive reefs of the Chesapeake. Efforts to stop the decline which began by 1890 were noble but futile. Oysters were harvested faster than they could reproduce, and the machinery left the bottom unsuitable for growth and devoid of vital shell upon which new growth depends. Mortally wounded, the population became susceptible to disease, and rapidly increasing pollution and sediment seemingly sealed their fate.

   Now, less than a fraction of one percent remains of their kind. Not only would restoring them be enjoyable, but the health of our precious Bay depends upon it. It will not be easy, and there will be costs. The renewed calls for a harvesting moratorium may seem drastic, but the alternative is the permanent end of the Chesapeake Bay oyster. Remember how well the Rockfish responded to a temporary ban on their capture?

    Aquaculture is a very viable alternative to gathering the last few remaining Oysters. We can have our cake and eat it too! Oysters grown by a new breed of watermen can revitalize the local industry, provide some degree of filtering, and help replenish the stocks of oysters. A growing number of these oyster farmers are providing restaurants and canneries with fresh local seafood. Waterfront homeowners, or those with access to a pier, can also contribute and raise awareness. There are a number of programs involved with oyster restoration such as ORP (Oyster Recovery Partnership), the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Magothy River Association and most notably Maryland Grows Oysters. If you are interested in getting involved, please respond to this article.