Maryland Maintains Oyster Harvest Limits Despite Market Challenges

Decision Reflects Both Healthy Oyster Population and Economic Struggles for Watermen

This week, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) shared there will be ‘no change’ to current oyster harvest limits for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. The Statewide Oyster Industry Committee, which includes representatives from 11 county watermen’s associations, voted in support of maintaining bushel limits. This decision reflects current market struggles that have plagued Maryland watermen in recent years.

Despite a growing oyster population in the Bay, watermen have faced numerous economic challenges—from weather to changing markets. The committee supported conservative bushel limits that would prevent more inventory from flooding the market and further depressing prices.

Thanks to significant large-scale restoration efforts, oyster abundance has more than tripled since 2005. A key driver of this success has been Maryland’s oyster sanctuary network. Oyster sanctuaries are areas of the Bay where harvesting oysters is prohibited. These reefs remain protected so they can filter Maryland’s waterways, provide habitat for fish and crabs, and support recreational and commercial fishing. Oysters on sanctuaries also reproduce and repopulate nearby reefs that are open to harvest.

Sanctuaries have helped watermen recover from devastating harvest lows in the early 2000s, with harvest having increased more than 300 percent since the establishment of the sanctuary areas. Today, only 24 percent of Maryland’s oyster reefs are protected as sanctuaries. The other 76 percent remain open to harvest.

Despite more oysters in the Bay, Maryland’s oyster fishery has faced significant economic pressures, including shifting consumer demand, competition from out-of-state fisheries, poaching, and extreme winter weather last season. To help alleviate these challenges, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation supported legislation aimed at supporting Maryland’s watermen, including:

• Additional oyster marketing funding in next year’s state budget. Effective July 1, over $300,000 in supplemental funding will be available for promotion and market research;
• SB558/HB1599, which will establish a new Maryland Seafood Industry Financial Assistance Fund to provide flexible assistance to commercial watermen and small businesses; and
• SB166/HB1400, which places additional tough deterrent penalties for oyster poaching.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Coastal Resource Scientist Julie Luecke issued the following statement:

“We agree with DNR’s decision to maintain current oyster harvest limits. Increasing supply will not help with the current challenges watermen are facing.

“In addition, we urge the agency and state leaders to continue focusing on real solutions to the market challenges watermen are facing. These include boosting local seafood markets, helping watermen recover, and keeping our oyster sanctuaries protected so they can help increase harvests. Maryland’s oyster restoration effort is a major long-term conservation success story. We cannot risk backsliding on decades of oyster protection, restoration, and investment.”