Charles County Watermen's Association Presentation to Commissioners - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Charles County Watermen's Association

Presentation to Commissioner’s

Local Chapters with a MD State Association

• CCWA Association was
• rganized in the early 80’s
• 25 active members
• All are Charles County

Residents

• Maryland Watermen's Association

(State Charter)

• St. Mary's County, Arundel

County, Baltimore County, Calvert County, Cecil – Harford County, Charles County, Dorchester County, Kent County, Queens Ann County, Seaside Watermen, Somerset County, Talbert County, Tangier Sound, Worchester County

Commercial Regulatory to the Fisheries

• Potomac River
• The Potomac River Compact of 1958 is

an interstate compact between Maryland and

• Virginia. The Compact also carries

Congressional consent from MD and VA legislators

• The compact created the Potomac River

Fisheries Commission and defined the jurisdictional boundaries of its power. The commission is charged with the management

• f a program to protect and improve the

natural resources of the Potomac. The commission has eight members - four appointed by each governor - and meets four times each year.

• The commission is "responsible for adopting

the rules, regulations and licenses for the recreational and commercial taking, catching

• r attempting to take or catch fish, crabs,
• ysters and clams from the Potomac River.
• Potomac River Tributary's and the

Wicomico River

• Regulated by MD Department of Natural

Resources (DNR)

• Wicomico River
• Neal Sound (cobb Island)
• Cuckolds Creek (Swann Point)
• Port Tobacco Creek
• Nanjemoy Creek
• Mallows Bay
• Chicamuxen Creek
• Mattawomen Creek
• Benedict (Patuxent River)

Potomac River Fisheries

• Blue Crab
• Stripe Bass (Rock Fish)
• Catfish
• Shad
• Eel
• Oyster’s

Blue Crab

Blue Crab – Cobb Island (North in the Potomac)

• Fleet coming out of Cobb Island and

Aqua land - April 1st to November 31st between 10 to 20 boats

• Gear type – Crab Pots, Trot Line,

Crab Collapsible Traps

• Limited Entry 400 Licenses in the

Potomac River – Sustainable Fisheries

• Spring Survey – varies year from

year

• Potomac River Harvest Records
• (2016 – 79,301 Bushels Harvested)
• (2017 – 73,910 Bushels Harvested)
• (2018 – 74,350 Bushels Harvested)
• Dockside Value is in the Millions

Stripe Bass (Rock Fish)

Stripe Bass (Cobb Island north in the Potomac)

• Fisheries from Cobb Island to Indian Head -

mid summer through the winter

• Gear Type - Gill Net – Hook and Line – Haul

Seine – Hoop Net

• 15 to 30 Fishermen participate in this Fishery

from Charles County

• 2018 Spring Survey on the year to young

performed Bay-wide showed an above average juvenile Rock Fish abundance

• Limited Entry with a Quota System to manage

the fishery – Sustainable Fisheries

• Potomac River Harvest Records
• (2016 – 534,785 Pounds Harvested)
• (2017 – 492,758 Pounds Harvested)
• 2018 season is still open right now but 445,999

have been harvested to date

• Dockside Value is in the Millions

Catfish

Catfish ( Cobb Island North in the Potomac)

• Activity is primarily North Of Cobb Island

in the entire Potomac all year long

• Gear Type – Hoop Net’s – Gill Net’s –

Haul Seines – Hook line

• 15 to 30 Fishermen Participate in This

Fisheries

• No Survey needed – (Invasive Fish in

MD Water’s)

• No limited entry
• Potomac River Harvest Records
• (1975 – 6,252 Pounds Harvested))
• (2016 – 1,647,325 Pounds Harvested)
• (2017 – 1,858,955 Pounds Harvested)
• (2018 – 2,356,033 Pounds Harvested)
• Dockside Value – ( in the Millions)

Gizzard Shad – Charles County Waters and the Potomac River

• Activity is all the waterways

surrounding Charles County

• Gear type – Haul Seine -

Late winter early spring season

• 15 to 30 participants in this

fishery

• No limited entry

Eel – Charles County Waters and the Potomac River

• Activity is all the waterways surrounding

Charles County

• Early spring through Late Fall
• Gear type – Eel Pots
• 10 to 15 Participants in the Fishery
• No Limited entry
• Spring Survey – Closely monitored right now
• Potomac River Harvest Records
• (2016 – 58,223 Pounds Harvested)
• (2017 – 33,555 Pounds Harvested)
• (2018 – 31,151 Pounds Harvested)
• Plans are in the works for better

management plans

• Eel populations are down and regulations are

being explored till the fishery rebounds

Oysters

Oysters (Cobb Bar to Nanjemoy Creek in the Potomac)

• Activity in our area is Cobb Bar to

Nanjemoy Creek – with more activity the further south you go in the Potomac

• Gear type – Hand Tong from Cobb

Island North – Oyster Dredge South

• f Cobb Island
• 15 to 35 Fishermen
• 8 Bushel limit per person 16 per boat
• No limited entry
• October 1st to March 31st
• Dockside Value – 2016/2017
• $496,748.00 (Potomac River)

Oysters (Sustainable Fishery)

• Rotational Harvest in the

Potomac

• Transplant oysters on a Oyster

Bar and let the bar sit 3 to 4 years before harvest is allowed

• Cedar Point Oyster Bar

(Morgantown), Pascahanna Oyster Bar (Pepco), Bluff Point, Green Hill, Gum Bar all in front of Colonial Beach

• This concept is a win win, for

everybody, it’s provide habitat for many different species, filters the water and after several years benefits the watermen and consumers by harvesting them.

Oysters (Sustainable Fishery)