Now is the time for the Maryland Board of Public Works to approve funding for dredging of oyster shell deposits in the Man – O – War Shoal in the upper Chesapeake Bay.
It has been more than 25 years of delays for final approval of a cost effective and environmentally sound initiative to help restore the Bay’s natural oyster population. This dredging will not only enhance an ongoing rebound of the Bay’s oyster population. It will also increase the capacity of the oyster population to naturally and effectively reduce the impact of pollution by filtering the waters of the Bay.
The reason this delay on final approval of this initiative is simple and frustrating. It is the result of tyranny of the loud led by some environmental organizations. This tyranny ignores the reality that professionals at a wide range of government regulatory agencies (including the U.S. EPA and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources) as well as independent third-party research organizations have all reported that there will NOT be adverse impacts from oyster shell dredging in the Man-O-War Shoal. Despite these fact-based reports, some environmental groups oppose this initiative. Why have they consistently ignored these facts? Could it be that they want to block this initiative because they rely on gloom and doom reports on the health of the Bay to solicit contributions for a large staff, paid lobbyists, a Washington DC lobbying firm, extensive real estate holdings and monies in offshore bank accounts? Do they really have the best interests of the Bay as their true mission? We don’t know.
These are questions that beg more scrutiny by the media and public. What we do know is that because of their opposition, implementation of a proposal from the Delmarva Fisheries Association Inc. (DFA) that includes proven methods to increase the Bay’s oyster population and help mitigate ongoing pollution continues to be stalled to the extreme detriment of the Bay.
This tyranny of the loud is made worse by acceptance of this opposition to dredging by some members of the Maryland General Assembly and all the members of the Baltimore County Council. These are the same groups who share in an abysmal failure to take timely action on the two most negative impacts on the current and the future health of the Bay. Those impacts are untreated raw sewage discharges from the Patapsco and Back River wastewater treatment plants in the Baltimore Metro Region (i.e., Baltimore City and Baltimore County) and toxic sediment released regularly from behind the Conowingo Dam. Until those two pollution sources are fully addressed, it is imperative that steps be taken immediately to allow for dredging and recycling of oyster shell deposits in the Man – O- War Shoal.
At the Delmarva Fisheries Association, our primary guiding principle is simple and transparent. We believe all public policy decisions affecting the Chesapeake Bay should be based on facts AND on the results of independent third-party research. That must be coupled with a long overdue greater focus on the raw sewage discharges from the Baltimore region and dredging toxic sediment from behind the Conowingo Dam. These three outcomes will advance progress on the goals of helping both the oyster population and the Bay to not only survive, but to thrive.
It is time to call out and stop listening to the loud voices of those who oppose dredging and recycling shell deposits in the Man-O-War Shoal. It is time to tell it like it is – opposition to dredging is based in part on obscuring an abysmal long-term failure to pursue important unresolved pollution issues, false narratives unsupported by facts and perhaps self-serving motives. It is time for all stakeholders to acknowledge that dredging and recycling oyster shell deposits in the Man-O-War Shoal is cost effective, a long-term solution to restoring the oyster population, is environmentally sound, and will not harm recreational fishing in the Man -O – War Shoal based on dredging experiences elsewhere in the Bay.
Captain Robert Newberry is Chair of the Delmarva Fisheries Association Inc. (DFA). DFA represents over 80% of Maryland’s watermen; whose livelihood and unique multi-generational way of life depends upon sustainable harvests in a healthy Bay. Captain Newberry grew up on the water and has observed the changing fortunes of the Chesapeake Bay firsthand as a waterman, recreational fishing charter boat captain and farmer.
David Rader II says
Previous oyster dredging has often left devastation in its wake. You’re talking about false narratives while also diminishing the importance of oysters in cleaning the bay? Oysters are one of the best natural chances we have to maintain balance in the ecosystem of the bay. Do you know what the Man O’War shoal has a lot of? Oysters. Why would you promote damaging that?
Of the watermen and fisherman I know, not a single one of them happens to be in the purported “80%” of waterman that you represent.
It’s a shame you’re willing to promote the destruction of a naturally cleaning and self-sustaining system in the bay for profit. In the name of every child inheriting this Earth after we’re long gone – you should have great shame. It’s a great disgust to see someone promote this environmental destruction so heartlessly.
I do not get paid by any non-profit organization. I dot not have any personal or professional connection to any watermen, except in conversation as my respect for the environment meets with their need for fishing. I work with other volunteers. There’s no lobby to pay here. In fact, I along with others hounded the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for not doing enough. It took way too much effort to get the CBF to even acknowledge this issue properly. Part of me thinks they’re selling the bay out. I don’t blame you for not trusting them with their supposed offshore bank accounts, I don’t anymore either.
We don’t have money though, so you don’t hear about the volunteers like us working behind the scenes.
The other issues you mentioned regarding pollution SHOULD be addressed, but the Man O War Shoal’s oysters have been naturally filtering this water long before industry ever arrived and they’re now even MORE necessary than they’ve ever been to maintain a healthy balance in the local ecosystem.
I am here for my children and every generation after. If you want to convince us to destroy the Man O’War Shoal, you’ll have to try a lot harder than this article promoting environmental destruction – to sum your argument up “natural bay cleaners aren’t really needed, but removing them will also help them clean the bay.” What a bunch of bullarkey.
A lot of the “loud voices” you want people to “stop listening to” are largely unpaid volunteers and small businesses. We have to work a LOT harder than for-profit industry just to be heard.
Sean Scully says
Mr. Newberrry, your attack on the CBF is ludicrous. They are not blocking this initiative to keep the doom and gloom going and you know it. The Bay is in awful shape and even if it improved 1000%, their would still be plenty of doom and gloom to go around. The CBF’s goal is the cleanup of the entire bay and your goal is to promote what you believe is best for the watermen in your organization. You can disagree with the CBF’s priorities, you can disagree with their tactics, but arguing that they are not trying to look out for the best interests of the Bay is not based in reality.
You argue that the 2 most negative impacts on the Bay are the impacts of untreated raw sewage and the toxic sediment from the Conowingo Dam. The CBF has worked tirelessly to get the states, cities and towns to comply with EPA mandates to reduce and eliminate the release of effluent into our waterways. They have also worked to try and get the Conowingo dam shut down, or at the very least to have them pay for the clean up of that sediment.
The Man of War Shoal has approximately 100 million bushels of oyster shell. Between 1960 and 2006 we dug up 160 million bushels of oyster shell to reseed the bay. 62 years after that started we are at 1, maybe 2, percent of the historical biomass of oysters in the bay. How is digging up another 100 million bushels going to change that?
Sean Scully says
If the Delmarva Fisheries Association Inc. (DFA) represents 80% of Maryland Watermen, how come your website only lists 11 individual members? If all the watermen are behind you and your attempt to dredge a living oyster reef, why did the following organizations speak out against the destruction of the Man of War Shoal at the 2016 DNR meeting?
Baltimore County Watermen’s Association
Maryland Watermen’s Association
Maryland Saltwater Sport Fishermen’s Association