Oyster Robbery Continues

Oyster poaching continues on bay despite enforcement efforts

Waterman Edward "Bruce" Lowery lost his Maryland license to harvest oysters five years ago, after racking up more than three dozen violations. He was convicted of fishing at the wrong times, in the wrong places and using the wrong equipment. But that hasn't stopped him from oystering in the Chesapeake Bay.

Lowery, 49, says he bought a piece of land in Virginia — a "$3,000 piece of nothing" where he has never lived — to secure a commercial license from that state. Virginia regulators didn't ask about his record in Maryland.

As the five-month oyster season winds down, Lowery says his catch has been excellent. On a good day, he and his crew managed two dozen bushels and sold them for more than $1,000. He says he enjoyed many good days, despite having to travel to Virginia to work its waters.

Lowery's move illustrates the problem Maryland authorities face as they try to crack down on poachers — whom they see as a major threat to the bay's oysters.

I don't mind pushing our poachers into Virginia. Eventually, either the poachers or Virginia will wise up.

There are signs that the enforcement efforts have worked. Even as the number of license holders nearly doubled over the past five years, the number of citations dropped by more than 40 percent. And the state is suspending and revoking oyster licenses more often — 13 actions took place from 2005 to 2010, and there have been 70 since then.

Lowery, who left high school to become a full-time waterman, says he made an effort to find different work after losing his Maryland oyster license in 2010. "I had tried carpentry for a year. After being self-employed for 38 years, that didn't work well."

As a generality, watermen aren't usually Mensa material.