Press Release

Anglers Will Compete to Catch the Greatest Diversity of Fish Species and Demonstrate the Importance of Restored Oyster Reef Habitat

Registration is now open for one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most unique fishing tournaments—the Maryland Rod and Reef Slam.

This annual tournament challenges anglers to fish around restored oyster reefs and target the greatest variety of species, including invasives like snakehead and blue catfish. Oyster reefs create extremely valuable fish habitat and often become angling hotspots.

This year’s event will run from Saturday, September 7, through Sunday, September 15. Fishing will be followed by a beachfront after-party and awards ceremony at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Philip Merrill Center in Annapolis on September 15, featuring live music from the Eastport Oyster Boys, local food, and drinks. The tournament is co-hosted by CBF, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Maryland, and Chesapeake Oyster Alliance (COA).

“In this family-friendly tournament, anglers will experience the immense diversity of fish species that rely on oyster sanctuary reefs to thrive,” said Allison Colden, CBF Maryland Executive Director. “Oysters build underwater habitat that naturally attracts bottom-dwelling critters that gamefish eat. Restoring oyster reefs is a great way to help the many fish species that depend on this habitat.”

Past Rod and Reef Slams have resulted in as many as 16 different species being caught in one day. White perch, drum, toadfish, bluefish, rockfish, blue crabs, and Spanish mackerel have been recorded in past tournaments.

“Oyster reefs not only filter the Bay but also provide shelter and great habitat for fish and other marine life,” said former Maryland Rod and Reef Slam champion, Herb Floyd. “I especially enjoy the challenge of catching a wide variety of species and exploring the many reefs in our beautiful Chesapeake Bay waters.”

Event details include:

• Start date: Saturday, September 7, 2024
• End date and after-party: Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 12–3 p.m.
• Party location: CBF Headquarters, the Philip Merrill Center, located at 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland 21403
• Tournament entry fee: $50 for adults, $25 for youth; after-party only tickets also available
• Fish tracking: All participants must track their catches (species, size, and location) virtually through the iAngler Tournament app.
• Divisions: Powerboat, Kayak, and Youth. All anglers are automatically entered into the Invasive Species division.
• Boundaries: Restored oyster reefs in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Click here for an interactive map.
• Prizes: Grand Prize will be awarded to the highest overall diversity of species caught with any tiebreakers determined by fish length. There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for powerboat, kayak, and youth divisions, and one prize for the invasives division.
• Build a reef: Join CCA Maryland at Port Covington Marina in Baltimore Peninsula September 7th and 8th. Roll up your sleeves and help build reef balls as part of the Living Reef Action Campaign and the 2nd Annual Oysters Blues & Brews festival. Find more information here. 

Eligible invasive species include blue catfish, flathead catfish, and Northern snakeheads (Chesapeake channa). Fishing for and eating these species is one of the best ways to reduce their threat to the Bay.

There are more than 100 oyster reefs that anglers can choose to fish, from small sites in the northern Bay and around Annapolis, to large-scale restoration reefs in Harris Creek, the Little Choptank River, and Tred Avon River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Oyster restoration has been one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most successful restoration initiatives. Oyster reefs filter water quality and provide essential habitat for dozens of other species such as striped bass and blue crab. COA and its partnership of nonprofits, oyster farmers, and community organizations are committed to adding 10 billion oysters to the Bay by 2025.  

Registration for this event is required by September 6, 2024.

Citing the fundamental right Pennsylvanians have to clean air and pure water, the  Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has filed an amicus brief asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reverse a Commonwealth Court decision that led to its voiding the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

The brief states that “This Court should reverse the Commonwealth Court’s decision finding that the RGGI Regulation is an invalid tax and declaring it void, and should find that it constitutes a fee, consistent with the ERA (Environmental Rights Amendment) and the laws and regulations protecting clean air in the Commonwealth.” 

The RGGI is a coordinated effort between several Northeastern states that sets a regional limit on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Each power plant must pay for each ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) it emits at quarterly auctions. The emissions cap lowers over time, leading to cleaner air and less pollution to waterways while reducing emissions that contribute to climate change. 

The United States Energy Information Administration states that Pennsylvania ranks as the country’s fifth-highest state in generating the most carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel fired electric generating units.

According to CBF’s amicus brief, Pennsylvania courts have long held that the critical distinction between a tax and a fee is whether the charge is intended to be a general revenue-producing measure, or if it is a regulatory measure intended to cover the cost of administering a regulatory scheme authorized under the police power of the government. 

“Fees from the RGGI can provide important funding to reduce greenhouse gases and to conserve, improve and maintain Pennsylvania’s air and water quality for generations to come, as required by our state Constitution,” CBF Pennsylvania Staff Attorney Trisha Salvia said.

“Revenue from RGGI also means greater carbon dioxide sequestration, regenerative agriculture that enhances soil health, and riparian and upland tree plantings in rural, suburban, and urban landscapes,” Salvia added.

Pennsylvania became the 12th member of the RGGI in 2022, joining RGGI pursuant to a 2019 executive order and a subsequent rulemaking by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Environmental Quality Board (EQB). 

Various parties filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court alleging that Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI was unconstitutional, “because it usurps the authority of the General Assembly to levy taxes under the Pennsylvania Constitution and is not otherwise statutorily authorized.”

Last November, the Commonwealth Court declared the RGGI rulemaking void because the auction proceeds that it will generate is a tax in violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution, and that “participation in RGGI may only be achieved through legislation duly enacted by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and not merely through the Rulemaking promulgated by DEP and EQB.”

The DEP appealed the decision to the state’s Supreme Court in December 2023.

“Pennsylvania is unique to most of the other RGGI states in that it has the Environmental Rights Amendment within its Constitution that provides authority to DEP, its trustee, to protect, conserve and maintain its air and waters from the impacts of fossil fuels to its citizens,” Salvia said.

The Environment Rights Amendment, Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution reads: “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

The Effort Builds off Major Oyster Restoration Success in Chesapeake Bay Tributaries

Today, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Maryland deployed 150 reef balls set with spat, or juvenile oysters, into the St. Mary’s River in southern Maryland. This effort is part of a larger initiative to add 600 oyster reef balls into the river and increase overall reef habitat and oyster populations in Chesapeake Bay tributaries.

The St. Mary’s River is one of the 11 Bay tributaries targeted to be fully restored for oyster habitat by 2025—and the only one on Maryland’s western shore. In its 2024 Hope on the Half Shell report, CBF recommends targeting an additional 20 Bay rivers for oyster restoration.

“Strategically targeting and restoring Chesapeake Bay tributaries for oyster habitat has been an extremely successful model that we should continue to build on,” said CBF Maryland Coastal Resource Scientist Julie Luecke. “A healthier Bay will require additional investment in oyster restoration and aquaculture, and luckily we already know it works.”

Oyster sanctuary reefs are powerhouses across the Bay. They filter water and provide habitat for many other species, including blue crabs and striped bass. When they reproduce, they don’t just seed oysters in the sanctuary, but also oysters downstream that can support a productive oyster harvest and local economy.

Oysters are most vulnerable during their first few weeks of life. Larvae are microscopic and must attach to a hard surface for survival. Reef balls are manmade, concrete structures that serve as excellent substrate for oyster spat, mimicking the structure of a mature oyster reef. The reef balls keep spat elevated from the Bay’s muddy bottom where they can suffocate, and their three-dimensional structure creates valuable fish habitat.

Throughout the year, CBF and CCA volunteers have built over 600 reef balls for this initiative. The project was funded by CCA through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.   

“We’re proud to work with community partners and students throughout the region to build important habitat and to connect people to the value of three-dimensional oyster reefs,” said David Sikorski, CCA Maryland Executive Director. “It’s great to know that through rolling up our sleeves and working together, we can make long lasting impact on the future health of our watershed.” 

This effort furthers the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance’s ambitious goal of adding 10 billion oysters to Maryland and Virginia waters by 2025.

A living shoreline on the Eastern Shore will protect land and residents from erosion thanks to a crew of volunteers who worked with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) throughout this week to complete maintenance projects. 

In addition to moving 20 tons of sand to the shoreline, the volunteers also placed three coconut fiber coir logs, graded the sand using rakes, and placed loose oyster shells. On Friday, the volunteers are expected to install fencing to protect the project.

The Royall Woods living shoreline, located in Belle Haven, uses natural methods to shield Eastern Shore tidal shorelines from erosion.  

“As an Eastern Shore local, I’m excited to showcase a resiliency practice made possible through community dedication and support projects that will benefit my hometown for years to come,” said Kati Grigsby, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Restoration Coordinator. “Volunteering allows CBF to implement and maintain these amazing projects. These terrific volunteers got outside, worked alongside the community, and helped the local environment.”  

Living shorelines use materials such as plants and oyster reefs to protect tidal shorelines from erosion. However, like a garden, living shorelines require maintenance to function correctly and maintain their aesthetic value. Other than improving water quality by filtering pollutants, living shorelines beautify waterfronts and provide better habitat for wildlife like turtles and shorebirds. 

Learn more about living shoreline projects.   

CBF Celebrates Watershed Moment for PA Waters!

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is celebrating that $50 million in new annual funding for the Clean Streams Fund, which extends the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), is included in Pennsylvania’s General Fund budget for fiscal year 2024-25.

The $47.6 billion budget was signed by Governor Josh Shapiro on Thursday.

The legislature took the historic step of creating the Clean Streams Fund in 2022, funded initially by a comprehensive package of $220 million in federal investments from the American Rescue Plan. The fund dedicated $154 million to ACAP as investments to be passed through conservation districts to help farmers design and pay the costs of implementing conservation practices.

“We are thrilled that the Governor and legislators have made increased and sustained investments in the new budget for family farms and cleaner rivers and streams. It is a watershed moment like no other for Pennsylvania,” said Julia Krall, Pennsylvania Executive Director for CBF.

“It was a historic day when the General Assembly created the Clean Streams Fund, which invested in ACAP,” Ms. Krall added. “The extension in the new budget is momentous. Our elected leaders have shown their commitment to creating a legacy of clean water, healthy soils, and resilient communities for future generations.”

The new funding in the fiscal year 2024-25 plan extends ACAP. Otherwise, the initial historic federal investments would have been exhausted by the end of 2026.

On Tuesday, Governor Shapiro praised Pennsylvania’s progress in reducing pollution to local waters and the Chesapeake Bay as noted in a recent report. “We are seeing real results and improvement in the Chesapeake Bay,” the Governor said. “We’re not talking about fixing the Bay anymore, we are fixing the Bay, and we are making sure Pennsylvania does its fair share.”

Governor Shapiro also made it clear that the Commonwealth plans to continue its clean water work for the long haul. “You have my commitment that this work will continue,” he added. “Pennsylvania is all in.” 

The Clean Streams Fund tackles the top three sources of stream impairment in the Commonwealth: some agricultural activities, acid mine drainage, and urban/suburban stormwater runoff.  

ACAP will receive $35.75 million (71.5 percent) of the $50 million the new budget allocates for the Clean Streams Fund. Other allocations of that funding include: $6 million for the Clean Water Procurement Program; $5 million for the Nutrient Management Fund; $2 million for Stormwater grants and reimbursements; $1 million to the Acid Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Fund; and $250,000 to the Keystone Tree Restricted Account.

A statewide cost-share program did not exist in Pennsylvania before ACAP. The State Conservation Commission distributes ACAP funds to all 67 counties in the Commonwealth. Importantly, under ACAP, project decisions on local agricultural practices to reduce polluted runoff are made locally. 

Farmers appreciate the value and importance of keeping soil and nutrients on the land instead of running off into the water. But they cannot be expected to implement needed measures on their own.

In just over 16 months since the program was launched, more than 500 conservation projects statewide, totaling more than $73 million, are in the early stages of design because of ACAP.  

The design of the legislation that created ACAP was a collaborative effort between CBF, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. The Clean Streams Fund and ACAP were introduced by State Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming).

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is seeking volunteers this summer to help maintain the Royall Woods living shoreline, located in Belle Haven on the Eastern Shore. 

This project uses natural methods to protect Eastern Shore tidal shorelines from erosion. 

 “As an Eastern Shore local, I’m excited to showcase a resiliency practice made possible through community effort and support projects that will benefit my hometown for years to come,” said Kati Grigsby, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Restoration Coordinator. “Volunteering allows CBF to implement and maintain these amazing projects. It is also a great way to get outside, work alongside your community, and help the local environment.” 

Living shorelines use natural materials, such as plants and oyster reefs, to protect tidal shorelines from erosion. However, like a garden, living shorelines require maintenance to function correctly and maintain their aesthetic value. Over four days, the volunteer work will involve adding sand, biodegradable coir logs, loose oyster shells, and planting native wetland grasses.

It’s a chance for residents to take a break from the gym for a day or two, have fun in the sun, and help CBF improve water quality and protect shorelines through one of our many living shoreline projects.

Volunteers will have four dates to choose from to join CBF for the maintenance work:

• Monday, July 15 (10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) – Placing three coconut fiber coir logs, pushing wheelbarrows of sand to the shoreline, and grading sand using rakes.
• Tuesday, July 16 (11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) – Pushing wheelbarrows of sand to the shoreline and grading using rakes.
• Wednesday, July 17 (12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) – Pushing wheelbarrows of sand to the shoreline, grading the sand using rakes, and placing loose oyster shells.
• RAIN DATE Thursday, July 18 (2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) 
• Friday, July 19 (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) – Planting and installing goose fencing. 

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced grants that will provide more than $14 million for on-the-ground improvements and protections for Pennsylvania waters. 

The 13 grants from the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Program total $22.4 million  and will leverage an additional $35.3 million in matching funds to generate a total conservation impact within the Chesapeake Bay watershed of $57.7 million. 

“With these NFWF investments there will be more riparian buffers, urban tree plantings and farm restoration projects, and less polluted runoff going into local rivers and streams,” said Julia Krall, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Executive Director for Pennsylvania. 

NFWF grants are made through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, funded primarily by the Environmental Protection Agency and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program.

About $5.1 million in INSR grant funding is targeted for specific Keystone State projects, with an additional $9 million in matching funds. 

Pennsylvania and other Bay states will receive portions of $21 million in other INSR grants and matching contributions for projects that improve manure and nutrient management, restore forest buffers, implement stream restoration plans, and more.

Lancaster County will have nearly $7.5 million in a grant and matching funds for Lancaster Clean Water Partners to advance the Countywide Action Plan, reduce harmful sediment, and diversify and expand the pool of contractors who will do the work on local watershed restoration projects.

“The grant for Lancaster County will boost the collaborative progress being made by the Lancaster Clean Water Partners as they continue their great work toward reducing sediment and nutrient runoff in local streams and waterways,” Krall added.

The Chesapeake Conservancy, and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources also received INSR grants targeting projects specific to Pennsylvania.

The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District received a grant for work in Pennsylvania and New York to implement stream restoration plans, offer education opportunities for underserved landowners, and engage 200 volunteers.

Krall said the NFWF grants come at an opportune time for Pennsylvania, as its General Assembly and Governor are considering the final General Fund budget for fiscal year 2024-25. 

“CBF is calling on our elected leaders to step up to the plate and include sustained and increased funding for the Clean Streams Fund and Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) in the next budget,” Krall said. “ACAP supports Pennsylvania farmers, who would rather keep nutrients on their land instead of in the water, with financial and vital technical resources.”

Krall added that, “Continued investments at the federal and state levels are crucial to ensuring that Pennsylvania meets its Chesapeake Bay Blueprint goals.”

A complete list of the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants recipients is available here. 

Reports Signal Importance of Climate Resiliency, Tree Conservation, and Clean Water Restoration

As a heat wave hits Virginia this week, twin challenges fueled by climate change could also send the state deadly and damaging weather that increases pollution to waterways, according to two recently released reports. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its May hurricane forecast, predicting 8 to 13 hurricanes this season in the Atlantic. This marks the most aggressive May outlook ever produced by NOAA.  

At the same time, Climate Central reports that a warming planet will send extreme rainfall across Virginia, raising risks of floods and threatening efforts to repair key waterways across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

The Climate Central report details how much more rainfall is likely to fall in each Virginia city or county during severe storms if the climate warms by 3.6 °F (2 °C). That includes Charlottesville, 21.7 percent; Norfolk, 12.8 percent; Petersburg, 17.9 percent; Fredericksburg, 22 percent; Alexandria, 20 percent; Richmond, 17.6 percent; Roanoke City, 19.7 percent; and Virginia Beach, 17.4 percent. 

The predictions underscore the urgency of Virginia’s investment in flood protection, wastewater upgrades, tree conservation and efforts to clean up polluted waters. These forecasts come after Virginia’s governor pulled the state out of two major efforts to reduce the effects of climate change impacts including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and clean car standards approved by the General Assembly, which mandated a gradual shift to electric vehicles. 

Warmer ocean waters serve as a key ingredient for hurricanes, and scientists expect the lingering above-average temperatures in the Atlantic to increase the intensity and frequency of one of nature’s deadliest storms this hurricane season. Experts attribute these record-breaking temperatures to the ocean’s absorption of heat caused by increases in fossil fuel emissions.  

Further inland, the increasing frequency of heat waves within rivers threatens plants and animals like trout and salmon, in addition to accelerating the creation of toxic algal blooms. 

A warming planet also means heavier and increased rainfall. For every 1°F of warming, the air can hold an extra 4 percent of moisture, according to Climate Central’s report called “Extreme Precipitation in a Warming Climate.”

As a result, heavy downpours, flooding, and stormwater runoff that overwhelms overburdened sewer systems, erodes backyard streams, and pollutes local waters will increase. One inch of rain falling on an acre of hardened surface, such as streets and parking lots, produces 27,000 gallons of runoff, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). Stormwater passing over such surfaces often picks up oil, grease, dirt, and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and flows into nearby waterways.  

The state’s most recent “Dirty Waters” list declared more than 75 percent of Virginia’s estuaries and tidal rivers and 86 percent of Virginia’s lakes impaired. 

It’s a new chapter in a continuing trend. Between 1958 and 2021, Climate Central noted, the heaviest storms now drop 60 percent more rain in the Northeast (including Pennsylvania, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New York, and West Virginia) and 37 percent more in the Southeast (including Virginia).  

This increases the chances of heavier downpours that contribute to flash floods like those that killed an 85-year-old woman in Buchanan County in August 2021.  

Climate Central reported that flood damage costs in Virginia totaled roughly $855 million in 2020 and that figure could exceed $1 billion by 2050 as global temperatures continue to rise.  

Joe Wood, CBF Virginia Senior Scientist, issued the following statement:  

“Virginians experience climate change threats in many ways. As we head into what is forecasted to be another abnormally warm summer, Virginians must also contend with heavier downpours, damaging floods, and dangerous hurricanes.  

“More rainfall across Virginia has ripple effects across the Bay watershed, not to mention homes and businesses. The increasing frequency of severe storms causes more dangerous and costly flooding, overburdening sewer systems as well as local waterways that receive more polluted stormwater. Runoff from sweltering impervious surfaces is laden with pollutants which degrade Bay species, and lead to algal blooms that choke underwater life. Heat waves in rivers pose similar threats to plants and animals who depend on cooler, cleaner water to thrive.” 

“It’s critical to support local and state efforts to preserve and expand the state’s trees, which are natural sponges that soak up rainfall and pollutants. Trees alongside streams and streets, particularly city streets devoid of shade within what are known as urban heat islands, come with environmental benefits and benefits for communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. It’s also urgent to continue efforts to control emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases.” 

Advocates are calling on Maryland to take stronger action to reduce polluted runoff from state highways as the public comment period opens for a major stormwater management permit. Stormwater runoff is the fastest growing source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Later this summer, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will issue a new Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)’s State Highway Administration (SHA). This permit will work to mitigate the harmful effects of oil, gas, and other pollutants that rainfall washes off highways into local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.

The permit, which is designed to control pollution on the state’s extensive highway system, will be crucial for preserving water quality. MDOT SHA manages nearly 15,000 lane miles and roughly 2,600 bridges. Maryland’s section of the Capital Beltway (I-495) and Baltimore Beltway (I-695) alone see volumes of over 220,000 vehicles per day, according to MDOT data. 

Given the immense surface area covered by this permit, it will mark a pivotal opportunity to effectively implement Maryland’s municipal stormwater program.

“As development in the Bay watershed grows and rainfall frequency and intensity increases from climate change, robust stormwater management will be more essential than ever,” said Allison Colden, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Maryland Executive Director. “This permit has the potential to greatly enhance stormwater management, but it must include comprehensive and forward-thinking measures.”

In many cases, Maryland’s MS4 permits have fallen short for water quality improvements by relying on outdated rainfall data and prioritizing “check-the-box” practices that do little for habitat preservation and fail to sufficiently reduce pollution. SHA heavily depends on stream restoration to control pollution under its current permit, even though the practice is under fire for its questionable effectiveness. In 2023, the agency reported over 4,700 acres were treated via stream restoration, the most utilized mitigation practice by far. The second highest was outfall stabilization, or repairing erosion below storm drain pipes, at 700 acres treated.

“Some of the stormwater mitigation projects that have been proposed and are taking place in my community do more harm than good,” said Sharon Boies with Columbia-based grassroots organization, Protect Our Streams. “Stream restoration projects that receive MS4 credits too often allow environmental degradation like deforestation and, in the case of mitigation credits, allow the development of sensitive areas in additional locations as well. These shortcomings must be fixed by MDE statewide.”

Stormwater runoff is the fastest growing source of pollution in the Bay watershed, leading to erosion, habitat destruction, elevated levels of nutrient and chemical contaminants, and increased sedimentation.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other environmental advocates are calling on MDE to incorporate the following critical enhancements into MDOT SHA’s new permit:

• Ensure the permit accounts for increased storm intensity and other impacts of climate change;
• Require a range of effective practices to mitigate stormwater pollution, such as riparian plantings, “green infrastructure” infiltration structures, and removal of unused impervious surfaces, to reduce reliance on in-stream projects;
• Expand monitoring requirements to include temperature changes and impacts to wildlife and their habitats from polluted runoff; and
• Track and address pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and ‘forever chemicals’ such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

These measures are vital for protecting our waterways and communities from the damaging effects of stormwater runoff. Maryland residents can learn more about the Highway Authority’s MS4 permit and get involved here. MDE’s public comment period ends July 18.

MIA’s Program, Minorities on Course, Provides Support for the Next Generation of Black Maritime Captains

Minorities in Aquaculture (MIA), a non-profit organization founded by Chestertown native Imani Black in July 2020, has been making waves in the aquaculture industry by offering the underrepresented demographics, specifically women of color, invaluable professional development opportunities, hands-on job experiences, and access to critical maritime technical skills. One of its flagship programs, Minorities on Course (MOC), launched in 2021, is dedicated to empowering the next generation of African Americans who aspire to build a maritime career of various kinds by providing scholarships, and impactful maritime instruction to obtain a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Captain’s License and other applicable maritime certifications.

The number of Black commercial captains has declined significantly during the past decade as older captains leave the industry without a younger generation in place to take the helm. A recent Chesapeake Quarterly report estimated only 10 remaining black headboat captains are operating out of Kent Narrows, with more than half of the captains over 70 years old. The MOC Program aims to reverse the declining number of licensed Black headboat captains on the Chesapeake Bay while alleviating historical barriers by covering instructional course costs and providing essential knowledge and practical experience. Since the inaugural year, MIA has graduated 11 African American men and women with their USCG 100-ton Captain’s License while also overhauling the program’s structure, forging new partnerships, and enhancing resources to boost maritime engagement within the Chesapeake Bay.

“This program is not just about getting more Black people on the water,” said Imani Black, Founder and CEO of Minorities in Aquaculture. “This is about career development skills and honoring the Chesapeake’s traditional commercial fisheries legacy through actively preserving the Black maritime presence and heritage as an avenue to do that. We aim to equip and amplify the next generation of African American watermen, boat captains, and industry influencers with the tools to forge sustainable careers on their own terms while honoring the legacy of the influential maritime leaders, especially those from historic Black fishing communities who have made the Chesapeake Bay a cherished natural resource and thriving commercial fisheries that we all known and love today.”

“Living on the Chesapeake Bay and observing the watermen, I have taken great interest in being on the water,” said Rupert Walters, 2022 Cohort Participant and 100-ton Master Captain. “I have also taken notice of the dwindling population of minorities on the Bay and thought this was the time to further my interest and pursue my passion.”

In 2024, MIA has added new MOC partners to achieve their mission by collaborating with esteemed maritime professionals like Captain Michael McQueen, owner of Reel Altitude Fishing Charter and son to Captain Sonny McQueen of Solomon’s Island, the oldest living Black captain on the Chesapeake Bay today, Captain Bill Tynall of R&D Boat Supply in Cambridge, MD, Mahogany Yacht Charters, a Black female-owned luxury charter business in Washington, D.C. These partnerships additionally extend to field gear and in-kind sponsorships with business such as XTRATUF Boot Company and The Jetty Rock Foundation to provide the necessary supplies to participants among all MIA programs. These new alliances complement ongoing partnerships with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), providing program participants access to CBF educational vessels to obtain their USCG-required sea time and well-rounded maritime education.

“Making a career on the water shouldn’t be limited to those with family or personal connections to people already working on the Bay,” said Tom Ackerman, CBF’s Vice President of Education. “At CBF, we know that to protect the Chesapeake Bay, we must ensure everyone can access and enjoy it, whether they come from the city, the suburbs, or the countryside. Growing a diverse workforce on the water to match the diversity of the watershed will ensure that happens. We’re proud to partner with Minorities In Aquaculture and Founder Imani Black on this effort to train a diverse new generation of Chesapeake Bay captains.”

MIA’s primary functions are to bridge engagement, education, and advocacy between the demographics it serves and the workforce development of the global aquaculture and maritime industries. Alongside the MOC Program, MIA also offers an aquaculture internship program throughout the year, partnering with over 30 businesses, institutions, and operations nationwide to foster future industry professionals with the ultimate goal of continually cultivating a motivated network of over 400 members globally through mentoring, job boards, and networking opportunities.

Looking ahead, Minorities In Aquaculture is preparing for its third cohort of Minorites On Course participants this Fall 2024, raising $25,000 to support six new commercial Black captains on the Chesapeake Bay. Contributions come in many forms, from financial donations to essential gear, with companies like XTRATUF and Jetty Rock already providing significant support.

For more information on how to contribute, become a program participant and/or support Minorities In Aquaculture further as an organization, please visit the Minorities In Aquaculture website and/or contact the MIA team at resources@mianpo.org.