This week 海角社区app has been taking a deeper dive into Maryland鈥檚 oyster industry, which is on the rebound again after near decimation earlier this century.
Yes, the state鈥檚 oyster population is still well short of historical levels, but there鈥檚 more optimism for the industry than there used to be. There鈥檚 also a belief in the water that the population could be even bigger 鈥� but for a key missing ingredient.
There鈥檚 not enough oyster shells on the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and all the creeks and rivers where oysters live.
鈥淚f we had more shells on the bottom, we would have had more (oysters),鈥� said Robert Brown, the head of the Maryland Watermen鈥檚 Association. 鈥淲e really missed the boat on that one.”
A few restaurants in the region recycle shells, and last year that resulted in about 30,000 bushels of shells being dumped back into Maryland waterways so that spat 鈥� oyster larvae 鈥� can attach themselves to them and breed the next generation of oysters.
But as helpful as that is, it also barely makes a dent in the problem.
鈥淵ears ago, used to be millions of bushels of oyster shells planted every day,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淎nd that puts the culture on the bottom for the oysters when they spawn for them to set on.”
This year, Brown estimated there will only be a few hundred thousand bushels.
The demand that does exist for Maryland oysters also contributes to this problem.
鈥淲hat happens is a lot of these oysters now are being put in boxes,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd then they’re shipped to Chicago, shipped to, say, St. Louis and different places 鈥� You don’t get that shell back to put into the bay. And we need shells.鈥�
More help is on the way, though, but it鈥檚 not without some controversy or concern.
鈥淵ou have to get them from elsewhere. There鈥檚 a lot of shells on the West Coast we can bring over here,鈥� Brown said.
Watermen are generally on board with the plan, he said, because they have been reassured that West Coast oysters won’t harm the current population in Maryland with new diseases or other issues.
鈥淏ut we do have concerns about that,” Brown said.
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