In 1994 Maryland scientists, watermen and businesses vowed to work together to respond to a critical decline in Chesapeake Bay Oysters. Now the 'Oyster Recovery Partnership' is preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary on Wednesday, the largest oyster restoration project underway along the east coast.Which is a tiny fraction of their original extent in the Bay.
The Oyster Recovery Partnership's sole mission is to rebuild the oyster population. Part of the restoration project includes taking oyster shells from nearly 250 seafood restaurants and dumping them into the bay to re-build a marine habitat. So far they have planted 5 billion oysters: over 1,700 acres. . .
Fritz's oyster restoration plan. Ban wild oyster harvest for 5 years, preferably 10. Leave them alone. Don't plant any, don't harvest any. If, at the end of that time, evaluate the extent of their natural recovery. If it looks promising, proceed with recovery operations. If it looks like they won't recover on their own, plant a new species, maybe the Japanese River Oyster, Crassostria ariakensis which tolerates lower water quality, and seems to grow well, and disease free in the Bay.
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