Governor Wes Moore announced that Maryland will formally meet its commitment to restore five oyster tributaries in the Chesapeake Bay by completing oyster restoration in the Manokin River Sanctuary on the Lower Eastern Shore. The oyster restoration projects—among the largest in the world—have been highly successful at helping bring back oyster populations, building habitat and supporting economic growth in the Chesapeake Bay. “This restoration supports our commitment to bringing the oyster population back in five rivers by 2025 and the larger effort to support the repopulation of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, which has more than tripled in the past 20 years,” said Gov. Moore. “Our success represents the best of government collaboration to systematically address a complex environmental issue with real economic impact.” Oysters are a key driver of Maryland’s commercial fishing industry. Average dockside value saw a more than 300 percent increase from before restoration began, with watermen bringing an average of 475,000 bushels of oysters annually for an average dockside value of more than $18 million annually during the previous five years. Prior to restoration beginning, Maryland watermen harvested an average of 116,000 bushels per year for an estimated dockside value of $3.5 million annually from 2005 to 2010. […]
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