Watermen and DNR officials say the cache in Man-O-War is needed to help rebuild the Bay’s lost oyster habitat and sustain the traditional wild harvest.īut anglers say Man-O-War is one of the best fishing spots in the Upper Chesapeake for white perch and striped bass, and contend that dredging could ruin it. Oyster shells are generally thought to be the best substrate, or hard surface, for attracting baby oyster spat and enabling them to grow. Though productive long ago, it has very few live oysters now, despite repeated efforts to reseed it. Man-O-War Shoals is an ancient reef rising from the Bay bottom near Baltimore, estimated to harbor up to 100 million bushels of shells in its 456-acre footprint. The plan still needs federal approval, but if given the green light, DNR officials say the old shells would be used to replenish reefs in waters open to commercial harvest, help private oyster growers and restore reefs in sanctuary areas. 1 recommending that the state Board of Public Works grant the Department of Natural Resources a tidal wetlands license, which is needed to do the dredging. The state Department of the Environment has declared its support for the plan to mine 5 million bushels of shells from Man-O-War Shoals, near the mouth of the Patapsco River. The Hogan administration is pressing ahead with its bid to dredge old oyster shells from the largest remaining deposit in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay - a move backed by watermen but widely opposed by conservationists and recreational anglers. By Timothy Wheeler, Bay Journal News Service
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