More than 520 watermen are being hired to restore oyster bars in the Chesapeake Bay as part of the state’s effort to offer some economic relief to those hit by the declining blue crab industry.
Another 84 watermen are being hired for land-based work, such as trail restoration and aquaculture construction, to begin later this year, officials at the state Department of Natural Resources announced Friday.
“We’re keeping Maryland’s watermen working and protecting the viability of local businesses that rely on blue crabs, while giving the species some time to rebuild,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a statement.
The watermen are being hired through DNR and Oyster Recovery Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the oyster population, with $3 million in state capital funding. Last week, Maryland’s congressional delegation announced $10 million in federal disaster funding that will also support this effort. Commercial watermen applied for the jobs to DNR in October.
Restrictions on the crab harvest aimed at boosting the population have put a strain on many watermen who rely on the harvest for a living.
This week, more than 100 watermen used their boats and dredge equipment to recover and clean about 100 acres of oyster bars in Tangier Sound and the Patuxent and Severn rivers. Removing the silt and sediment prepares the bars for natural or hatchery seed planting.
