Tag Archives: Maryland Watermen
Maryland’s oyster harvest largest in 35 years
Bill Sieling, executive vice president of Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association, attributes the excellent haul to both Mother Nature and the canniness of the Maryland oyster industry in putting available resources to their best use. “The combination of having the good substrate there for the young oysters to set upon and then having the oysters available in the area to produce the spawn which is what produces the spat set and therefore had a place to set and grow – and it’s as simple as that,” It takes three years for an oyster to grow to legal market size. This year’s harvest was the culmination of years of investment in the Bay’s oyster growing conditions, Sieling said. >click to read< 13:04
Lawmakers kill SB948 bill threatening watermen’s oyster licenses
A bill that recently prompted hundreds of watermen to descend on the Maryland State House to protest threats to their ability to harvest oysters has been withdrawn from consideration. Senate bill 948’s axing marks a legislative victory for Maryland watermen, who have had to defend their livelihoods from state regulation on numerous occasions through the years. “We’re tickled that it was killed,” said Jeff Harrison, president of the Talbot Watermen Association. more, >click to read< 07:14
Jail time for Maryland Watermen pleading guilty of illegally obtaining Virginia oyster licenses
Edward “Bruce” Lowery and Richard N. Fluharty, both of Tilghman Island, pleaded guilty last month in Accomack General District Court to three counts each of giving false information to a police officer and four counts each of failing to report their catch, according to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Each was fined $200 and sentenced to six months and 10 days in jail, with all but 10 days suspended. The two were charged with forging a public record in claiming Virginia residence on their applications for licenses to harvest oysters in the state. Read the rest here 16:39
Pound Net Watermen Prepare for Menhaden Bycatch Limits
Today, a Maryland waterman with a pound net can catch as many menhaden as he or she would like, on Friday, that gets cut back to 6,000 pounds a day to protect the species from overfishing, Video, and Read more here 12:26
Maryland Watermen challenge menhaden catch limits
A group of Maryland watermen has filed suit seeking to overturn the state’s catch limit on menhaden, arguing that it violates state and federal law and that the forage fish is not in need of conservation. more@baltimoresun 00:05
