The Maryland Watermen’s Association, the Calvert County Watermen’s Association and a few individuals are in favor of dredging until-now-protected “old growth” oyster beds in the Patuxent River, but Brady Bounds is livid about the whole idea.
“The natural resources of Maryland, specifically those found in [the waters of] the Chesapeake Bay, are the property of the citizens of our great state, and by that I mean ALL the people,” said Bounds, a small-boat charter fishing captain in St. Mary’s County.
Bounds figures that the state Legislature and Department of Natural Resources must manage the use and exploitation of these resources “to the greatest good and welfare of all Marylanders.”
Bounds said that when laws and regulations are enacted that favor only a few people, the seeds of discontent are surely sown. He pointed out that a section of the Patuxent River was protected from oyster dredging for years, but now the proposed legislation - HB 584 - that is being sponsored by two southern Maryland delegates, Republican Tony O’Donnell and Democrat Sue Kullen, would undo all the years of providing a sanctuary and ensuring the survival of old growth oysters.
Bounds wants to know how the eventual wiping out of old growth oysters will serve the majority of the citizens. He is quick to add that even the Department of Natural Resources opposed the bill at its first hearing, along with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Coastal Conservation Association.
Not only are oysters a favored seafood, but they also steadily filter hundreds of thousands of gallons of river water through their systems, forever cleansing our waters and serving a wonderful purpose. In a day when oysters are not very plentiful in the Chesapeake Bay region, why attempt to remove those that the oystermen have shown they can do without? Why dredge the very bivalves that are aiding in the recovery and cleansing of the Patuxent River? It isn’t necessary to put them on ice and see them served in a raw bar.
New crab regulations - The Department of Natural Resources has adopted new regulations for the 2009 recreational and commercial blue crab fisheries with the intent of removing no more than 46 percent of the total crab population in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and increasingly protecting mature female crabs.
“Once again, the Maryland regulations are closely coordinated with actions undertaken by the commonwealth of Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission to ensure a Bay-wide approach to blue crab conservation and management,” department Secretary John Griffin said. To aid in conservation efforts, federal fisheries disaster funds will be used to pay for at least two additional law enforcement officers on the water to make sure the crab regulations are obeyed.
There are no significant changes for recreational crabbers. The regulation prohibiting the harvest of all female crabs (except soft crabs) remains in place for recreationals, while the commercial crabbers cannot take mature females from June 1 through June 15, Sept. 26 through Oct. 4, and Nov. 11 through Dec. 15.
Final bushel limits and closures may be modified in April after taking a late survey into account.
For more information, e-mail the department’s Ray Weaver at rweaver@dnr.state.md.us.
Decoy buy-sell-swap meet - The East Coast Decoy Collectors Club will have its annual buy-sell-swap meet April 3-4 in the St. Michaels Motor Inn in St. Michaels, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The public is welcome to attend. Free decoy appraisals will be made. Information: John Clayton, 410/745-2955, or John Trimble, 703/768-7264.
• Look for Gene Mueller’s Outdoors column Sunday and Wednesday and his Fishing Report on Thursday, only in The Washington Times. E-mail: gmueller@washingtontimes.com. Mueller’s Inside Outside blog can be found at www.washingtontimes.com/ sports.
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