Welcome to the 2019 Maryland Shellfish Growers Conference Past, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Welcome to the 2019 Maryland Shellfish Growers Conference

Past, Present and Future

History of Maryland Leasing Programs

Era I 1840-c. 1930 Era II 1930-1987 Era III Shellfish Lease Laws 1830 – One Acre Law 1865 – Five Acre Law with General License 1906 – Haman Law; Oyster (Yates) Survey 1914 – Shepard Act allows protest without evidence or proof; many applications withdrawn 1972 – moratorium until Bay resurveyed (till 1983) 2009 – current lease law mandating active use passed unanimously in MD legislature

Oyster Culture in Maryland 1979

• Frank Wilde, Shadyside – raising seed with

MWA in crab floats

• George Krantz, HPL – oyster raceways,

hatchery production

• DECD Dep Sec Bill Pate – M.O.R.E. Task Force

Recommendations

• DNR Dep Sec Lou Phipps –resurveying the

NOBs in the Bay

• Processing and Marketing
• Financial Assistance Sources

Oyster Culture in Maryland 1979

Survey of Industry Attending Conference

• Production: 50-100 33%, 100-500 38%, 500-1500 14%
• Harvesting: self 55%, hired 45%
• Gear used: tongs 51%, dredge 41%, other 8%
• Major constraints: seed source 27%, theft 18%, capital 17%, mortality

11%, bottom type 10%, poor growth 4%, market price 2%, market availability 0%

• Future programs: yes 100%

Oyster Culture in Maryland 1980

• Max Chambers, Nanticoke – running a

commercial hatchery

• Dexter Haven, VIMS – mechanization in oyster

aquaculture

• George Krantz, HPL and Sarah Otto, DNR–

disease background and warnings

• Mechanized Processing – Bob Prier, CBSIA and

Bill Shaw, NOAA

• Marketing – Giant Food and Red Lobster Inns
• Bill Outten, DNR – Leasing update

Remote Setting Introduced 1982

• Developed in Pacific Northwest
• Introduced by Don Meritt in 1982 in

demonstration project in Nanticoke

• Equipment was placed on a trailer known as the

“Spatmobile” and moved to many locations during the 1980s for demonstration workshops

• Provided early development training for spat on

shell production for annually planting leases

• However, most Eastern Shore counties

legislatively prevented from further leasing

Oyster Culture Development

• MD Sea Grant – many research and Extension

projects funded over the years for oysters, aquaculture species and production systems

• Horn Point Hatchery – solves many production

problems; becomes largest output of native

• ysters for large-scale restoration and

commercial development

• VIMS – development of genetically improved

lines, families and tetraploids spurs production

• Oyster Recovery Partnership – formed from

Oyster Roundtable; becomes key player for development of innovation in public resource restoration and aquaculture development

CLEARLY NEEDED……A MA MAJOR JOR CHANG ANGE E IN IN COURSE URSE

Revising Maryland’s Lease Law 2009

August 2008

Governor O’Malley visits shellfish farms in the coastal bays and calls for revision of lease laws to spur aquaculture development

May 2009

Lease law revision bill signed after unanimous passage by the General Assembly

Response to Improved Lease Law

• Almost 7,000 acres leased – more coming, with

both traditional bottom and new water column methods

• Auxiliary businesses – equipment, coatings,

products, food retailers, potential for nutrient credit trading

• New gear and methods – variety of bottom

cages, Canadian floats, Australian containers,

• thers developed by making improvement
• Maryland seen as a model – groups from other

states and nations have come to see how our results have worked; adopted some of them

• Scientific interest – solutions for problems

Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia visits Horn Point

• Higher output production – adapt military

and advanced robotics technology to culture systems to enhance production efficiency

• Expanded genetics – continue expanding

lines and families for higher meat quality, faster growth and disease resistance

• Advanced processing – mechanized systems

for removing meats and creating value-added products for modern markets

• More finance sources – loans and grants for

improved industry profitability

Future Directions

Partners for Progress in Aquaculture

You ARE the Future…. With Your Vision and Hard Work

Where will we be 40 years from NOW????