Innovation on the Chesapeake by Gary D. Crawford
I am happy to report that the spirit of innovation is alive and well on the Chesapeake Bay. The business of oyster farming in Maryland is finally getting on its feet. Oyster growers are learning as they go, experimenting, creating, inventing, and sharing with one another. This is a good thing, for everyone agrees that the more healthy oysters living in the Bay, the better. Traditional watermen who harvest w ild oysters are f inding it more and more difficult to make a living at it. Oysters in the wild are less plentiful, and the number each waterman can harvest is severely limited. Moreover, major portions of the Chesapeake Bay are now “offlimits” for oyster hunting; oyster sanctuaries have been established as agencies seek ways to conserve and restore the oyster resource. Consequently, watermen see their “ra nge” d isappea r ing, much a s western cattle ranchers did when sheepherders bought farmland and fenced it in. Oyster farming offers another way of staying on the water. Oyster farmers must have farms, of course, so portions of the Chesapeake Bay need to be leased for their use in growing oysters. Although these leases seem to be yet more
“fences,” the oyster hunters and the oyster farmers aren’t really in competition ~ either for Bay territory or for the oyster market. Here’s why. First, Maryland’s lease law requires that leased bottom must be barren. In other words, oyster leases make use of otherwise unproductive areas of the Bay and do not interfere with the wild harvest. Each lease application must be announced publicly, and if a waterman demonstrates that he has harvested oysters there recently, a survey must be conducted. Of course, an oyster farm in the wrong place could interfere with navigation, crabbing and fishing, so applications must meet a number of other standards, too. It takes a year or so for a lease to be granted. Second, unlike other states, Maryland’s lease law has a “use or lose” requirement. Those who are granted leases cannot simply hold on to them; they must produce oysters. Third, the demand for oysters is strong, and it appears that aquaculture is increasing the demand for oysters generally. Most farmed oysters are grown to be the ideal size and shape for consumers of raw oysters. Raw oyster bars are becoming increa sing ly popu la r
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