The Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy collected oysters from 265 cages in the last two months. These cages were hung from 76 private and public docks. Using a conservative estimate of 250 oysters per cage, we planted about 63,000 oysters on the sanctuaries in the Miles and Wye Rivers! Thanks to our 76 oyster growers!
Overall, these oysters are big and healthy. Most of the spat (baby oysters) grew from tiny specks to quarter-sized oysters over the winter. Now on the reef, they will continue to grow – filtering water and providing habitat for wildlife.
MRC manages oyster programs on the Choptank, Miles and Wye Rivers. In 2012 we supplied over 300 cages and floats to 106 property owners to grow oysters. Approximately 85,000 oyster spat were supplied.
The Marylanders Grow Oyster Program (MGO) is a cooperative effort between MDNR, MRC, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, other NGOs, and private dock owners to grow oysters from spat in wire mesh cages suspended from their piers for the first year of the oyster’s life. At the end of that growing period, the oysters are placed on the reef sanctuary in that particular tributary. There is no cost to those who participate, but there are rewards – both personal and ecological.
Alternatively, MRC will build and deliver oyster floats for your dock. The floats contain approximately 500 dime sized spat. Oysters less then a year old are called ‘spat’. The floats with spat cost $250 each, but Maryland provides a dollar for dollar income tax credit* of up to $500 per person for floats, so all of the costs for up to two floats per person is rebated at tax time. Oysters grown in floats, unlike in the MGO program, belong to the homeowner. Once mature the oysters can be consumed, or by request to MRC, moved to the sanctuary reef.
If you are interested in participating in this important program or if you have any questions, please contact Tom Leigh by email at [email protected] or by phone at 443.385.0511. Distribution of cages and spat in your area is planned for early fall.
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