Hogan administration calls to suspend oyster restoration.
'Let Governor Hogan know that halting oyster restoration is not in the best interest of Marylanders.
The Hogan Administration has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to cease its oyster restoration efforts on the Tred Avon River. Reportedly, at the request of certain watermen, the Hogan Administration wants to wait for the results of a pending study before deciding if oyster restoration will move forward. The action could delay one of the biggest restoration projects in the state for more than a year.
We know the Hogan Administration wants to help commercial oyster harvesters. So do we. Based on available science, we firmly believe that restoration efforts are improving wild oyster production and harvest.
The mega-oyster bar planned for Tred Avon will benefit everyone, boosting oyster reproduction, attracting fish, and cleaning currently heavily polluted water. Oysters are a common resource to be protected for all—not for one group's economic gain.
Why would anyone want to delay the recovery of the oyster population in the Bay? We can't think of one reason anyone would want to backslide on protecting these vital critters.
As reported by the media, a handful of watermen leaders convinced the Governor to delay the Tred Avon project with "new data" on the effectiveness of restoration efforts.
The first problem with this delay request is no "new data" exist. The state's fall oyster survey is still being analyzed, and no data are yet available even to state managers. According to the Corps of Engineers, what information is available indicates restoration has "resulted in healthy oyster populations and reef habitat."
The Hogan Administration's delay also violates consensus. In designing the Tred Avon project, the Army Corps was sensitive to local concerns. The Corps even modified the plans last year to satisfy local watermen. The Hogan Administration was part of the consensus and agreed to this modification. In asking now to delay the project, the Administration is going against the consensus decision and disregarding an open public process.
There is one more problem with this delay request: Halting oyster restoration efforts alone also reveals a bias against restoring oysters on sanctuary bars. If the Hogan Administration believes work related to oysters should wait until the five-year review in July, why wouldn't the Administration call for a delay in ALL parts of Maryland's oyster plan, including oyster harvesting?
Oysters are making such an encouraging comeback now, leading to cleaner, healthier waters. But these water-filtering, reef-building bivalves still face considerable challenges. Political moves designed to appease a small minority opposed to oyster sanctuaries shouldn't be another hurdle oysters need to overcome. It's up to us to make sure that isn't the case.
Click here to urge Governor Hogan's Administration not to stand in the way of bringing back our oysters. And they are "our" oysters.
http://takeaction.cbf.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=18053
To delay oyster restoration based on unsubstantiated data is not in Maryland's best interest. The majority of Marylanders want oyster restoration work to continue.
Thank you
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
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