BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources released new data this week that shows a record high of oysters harvested by commercial shellfish operations in the state.

The DNR reports that 466 commercial shellfish operations leased 7,478 acres of state waters in 2023. The total harvest for 2023 was 94,286 bushels, which is an increase from 94,257 bushels in 2022. The state’s public oyster fishery harvested 548,558 bushels during its 2021-2022 season and 722,850 bushels in the 2022-2023 season, which are far less than the commercial harvest.

The DNR’s Aquaculture and Industry Enhancement Division Director, Brian Callam, said, “Though the shellfish aquaculture harvest is small in comparison to the public fishery, it is growing steadily and the farmer’s product is available throughout the year.”

Callam also noted that the economic impact of shellfish aquaculture in the state is more than $13 million per year.

Maryland’s shellfish aquaculture operations are divided into two categories: submerged land leases and water column leases. Submerged land leases allow shellfish to be grown directly on the seafloor, while water column leases allow shellfish to be grown in cages or other containers in the water.

The state leased 6,964.32 acres of submerged land and 514.16 acres of water column leases. Of the total harvest, 66.6% was from submerged land leases and 33.4% was from water column leases.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages anyone interested in learning more about shellfish aquaculture to visit the program’s website.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via Maryland DNR