Chesapeake Bay advocates alarmed by plan that could open oyster sanctuaries to watermen

Some of the Chesapeake Bay's most densely populated oyster sanctuaries could be opened to periodic harvesting under a plan being floated by state officials, setting up more conflict between alarmed environmentalists and watermen seeking to make a living.

Neither side is pleased with the first draft of a new map of sanctuary boundaries in Maryland's share of the bay. While watermen would gain some territory they ceded when a state oyster restoration strategy launched in 2010, dredging would be banned in other areas that are now open to harvesting.

The net effect would be a loss of 11 percent of oyster sanctuary, instead opening up that acreage to watermen for undetermined stretches of time once every few years. Gov. Larry Hogan's administration has supported what it calls "rotational harvesting" as a way to balance oyster recovery and bay restoration with the demands of the seafood industry.

Conservationists and scientists are concerned that the plan — which is sure to be revised — could set back progress to rebuild the Chesapeake's oyster population from historic lows.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-oyster-sanctuary-plan-20170217-story.html