EASTON — Commercial oystering should be phased out entirely and replaced with the aquaculture industry in order to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay, said Comptroller Peter Franchot, a leading candidate in the 2022 Democratic primary race for governor, when asked about his oyster recovery plan.
Franchot made the comments during an interview with The Star Democrat on Aug. 18, during which he promoted himself as a candidate who will overhaul how the wild fishery operates — at least with the oyster industry — if he wins the gubernatorial election.
Franchot promised to phase out commercial oystering, which would likely start with a moratorium on the harvest of the water-filtering shellfish — a population estimated to be at less than 1% of its peak from the late 19th Century after bouts of disease, overfishing and a decline in the Chesapeake Bay’s health — but also put more than 700 watermen’s jobs in peril.
I have been in the seafood industry for 36 years and this is ridiculous! The oyster men are already highly regulated and severely limited on catch. MD DNR lowered their bushel limit to 12 per man and 2 men per boat. Three years ago Wednesday was cut out and the men are not allowed to work weekends. Last year all the boats caught their limit early and there were so many oysters that the buyers could not buy every day especially last January and February ! In fact the state must have recognized the abundance as they rescinded the Wednesday moratorium for this year ! I am so tired of people who get their pay check every Friday whether they work or not dictating terms to hard working men and stealing their paychecks ! Franchot is just your typical liberal and everything that is wrong with this state and country. Just from economic standpoint there isnt enough aquaculture to begin to supply the needs of the state or all the customers out side of the state. If this were to occur, Virginia , Delaware and Southern oysters would fill the gap resulting in the loss of thousands of MD jobs ! I never dreamed I would live to see the day that this kind of nonsense could even be considered !
His sorry A** was in Cambridge last week promoting the multigenerational center. He needs to craw back under the slimy rock he came out from. He is one bottom feeding organism with no good purpose.
Nope, nope, nope. Do not vote for this person, has his own agenda already.
If oystering is stopped then the watermen will receive unemployment. A better use of the money would be to finance the transition to the agriculture process. It will be a win for the watermen, the bay’s health and the taxpayers.
To begin, oyster grounds need to be worked and turned over so they do not sink and drown. For years the state did not do their part and return oyster shells to the beds/rock from the packing houses as was the mandate. It wasn’t that long ago that the state rescinded on oyster ground leases, creating sanctuaries and not reimbursing the watermen for their lease purchases or the spat they had set at their expense and hard work. Maryland’s most endangered species is the waterman!
why dont he clean up baltimore first and all the crap (literal) they dump into the bay?