Tag Archives: Maryland Watermen’s Association
Decline in Chesapeake crab population sparks hunt for answers
Commercial crabbers in Maryland and Virginia aren’t catching their limits, and the harvest in the first few months of the season was so meager that some gave up trying. “Crabs are so scarce that me and my son are still catfishing,” Billy Rice, a Charles County, MD, waterman, said in June. “We’re making more money catfishing than we would be crabbing.” Based on what they see on the water, crabbers have no shortage of theories about why the Bay’s most prized catch is hard to find: Changes in water quality, climate change and an influx of crab-eating fish top the list. Whatever the case, said J. C. Hudgins, president of the Virginia Waterman’s Association. “Mother Nature has throwed a wrench in the barrel.” >click to read< 14:23
Maryland oyster industry may be forever altered by Coronavirus pandemic
The pandemic-impacted oyster season has been difficult for the industry in Maryland, causing farmers and watermen to rethink how they sell their product and changing how programs conduct oyster restoration. Robert Brown, waterman and oyster grower, has bottom oyster leases on the tributaries of the Potomac River. Brown, president of the Maryland Watermen’s Association, said he sells the majority of his oysters to oyster packaging houses, which aren’t working at capacity because they can’t sell the oysters once they shuck them. Watermen are being hit hard in the pandemic, and it might be a few years before we get back to normal,,, >click to read< 08:36
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. Continue reading the article here 15:17
43rd Annual East Coast Commercial Fishermen’s and Aquaculture Trade Fishermen’s Expo is Jan. 15
The Maryland Watermen’s Association will host its 43rd annual East Coast Commercial Fishermen’s and Aquaculture Trade Expo at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City this weekend. It’s the only event of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The weekend will be full of seminars, fisherman gear, equipment and more. Friday, the event will begin at 11 a.m. and run until 5 p.m., Saturday the event will run from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Tradeshow pre-registration tickets can be found online for $25 and tickets to the Friday cocktail party can be found online, as well, for $35. Seminars will begin on Saturday at 11 a.m. and run every half hour with Don Webster of the University of Maryland Extension moderating. More info, Read the story here 12:29 Maryland Watermen’s Association website www.marylandwatermen.com
Proposed Maryland oyster study draws watermen’s ire
A bill heard this week by a Senate committee would require scientists to determine a sustainable rate of harvest. But it has drawn the ire of watermen and the seafood industry, who contend such a study is unnecessary and a threat to their livelihood. Supporters of the legislation, including environmentalists and recreational anglers, warned Tuesday that despite a population surge the past few years, the state’s oysters may be at risk of overfishing. That could have dire consequences, they said. Oysters are not only the state’s second most valuable commercial fishery, they also help clean the Chesapeake’s water and provide vital habitat for other fish. The bill, introduced by Sen. Roger Manno, a Montgomery County Democrat. Read the rest here 14:08
42nd East Coast Commercial Fishermen’s & Aquaculture Trade Exposition January 15 – 17, 2016
January 15 – 17 – Ocean City Convention Center, Ocean City, Maryland – 2016 is shaping up to be a great year for our trade show. We have a couple of big work boats that are going to be in the show with many new vendors to add to our amazing veteran vendors. Check out below for some of the great things you will get to see at the trade show. Aquaculture and commercial fishing seminars, Charter boat and sports fishermen gear, equipment, Chef cooking demonstrations, Watermen of the year annual competition with a cash prize, and more. Click here for details, and enjoy the show! 20:31Maryland DNR forms position to give more voice to seafood industry
Former Queen Anne’s County commissioner and waterman George O’Donnell has been brought onto the Department of Natural Resources’ payroll as a seafood industry and fisheries stakeholders liaison, of sorts. O’Donnell has been in the position since July 8, and according to Maryland Watermen’s Association President Robert T. Brown, he’s already been working with the commercial industry to find solutions to their issues. “We’ve finally got a friend up there,” Brown said. Read the rest here 10:26
Commercial watermen speak vehemently against fisheries bill
The bill, SB145, would define how the natural resources department opens and closes fishing seasons, changes catch limits and modifies where fishing can take place via public notice. Read [email protected] 17:27
