While recreational anglers and conservation organizations are focused on getting harvesting regulations changed for fish populations such as oysters, crabs, and other fish species in the Chesapeake Bay, we need not take our eye off the what I have to come to believe is the main cause of the situation, lack of habitat and terrible water quality.  The fish are mere canaries in the coal mine.  I have long  been an advocate of getting harvest reductions. My argument is this; water quality and habitat is going down, clearly we need to do something to change this, however we first, or also at the same time, need to reduce harvest limits. If we do not reduce harvest limits and instead just focus only on cleaning up the water, by the time we clean up the water there will be no fish because we harvested above the sustainable rate which essentially was lowered because of poor water quality. It all works together and both aspects need to be addressed.

The Choptank River located right in my back yard this past year has been diagnosed as the second most polluted river in Maryland. (see this article) I am embarrassed to even admit it and our public officials in Talbot, Dorchester and Caroline counties should be absolutly ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen. Everyone always wants to point the finger at Pennsylvania for the Cheesecake’s pollution issues. They are to blame for a large impact they have on the Susquehanna River that feeds the bay. But guess what, the Choptank problem can only be blamed on the citizens and public officials in Talbot, Dorchester and Caroline counties. The main source of the pollution, high nutrient levels. Where does that come from? Some run off from regular crops, but one can argue most from chicken farms. Do you know there is no permitting of chicken feeding businesses in Talbot, Dorchester and Caroline counties? Do you know they can sit huge piles of manure right next to drainage ditches that flow into the bay? Check out this article  to see pictures of the piles of s*#t and learn more about the situation.

The Choptank River has had some of the best striped bass, trout, flounder, black drum, and perch fishing of any of the Maryland tributaries. We as citizens need to do our part and our public officials need to step up to the plate and help save the river, require regulations and permitting. This will help save the river, which in turns helps save the rest of Chesapeake Bay. Act local, think global…

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