Are non-native oysters the solution to the Chesapeake Bay’s struggling oyster fishery? I say no. We should preserve native oysters, stop commerical harvests immediately, scratch the laws on the books on how oysters are managed (currently in Maryland they are controlled on a county by county basis, a colonial artifact) , and step up efforts to plant more native oysters and restore what was here before we were. If we give up on the native fish/oyster it will set a horrific prescient what when one fish species dies we just introduce something else, leaving the ecosystem disrupted, the long term effects unknown and probably irreversible  and leave a non-native ecosystem for future generations.  I think the move would be a totally irresponsible act by those of us that currently inhabit and are supposed to protect this planet and fish for future generations. This is not about making sure anyone can make a living commercially harvesting oysters, it’s about a moral responsibility to protect native fish.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seems to at least agree that we should not introduce a non-native oyster and gives five good reasons why. Here are five reason the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and The Nature Conservancy believe the Bay should stay native.

1. 1. Introducing the non-native oyster would be an irreversible process with uncertain ecological consequences, and scientists agree that Asian oysters introduced to the Chesapeake would likely spread to the Atlantic Coast.
   2. Asian oysters could lead to extinction of Chesapeake oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in local areas by disrupting reproduction, competing for space, and hosting disease.
   3. The Asian oyster is not a panacea. It is more sensitive to low oxygen levels (a persistent problem in the Bay), more sensitive to a disease found in coastal waters, and more vulnerable to local predators than the Chesapeake oyster.
   4. The Asian oyster concentrates bacteria and viruses at higher levels than the Chesapeake oyster, providing a potential health hazard to consumers.
   5. There’s no reason to give up on native oysters. Progress in native oyster aquaculture and restoration techniques make the prospects good for the native Chesapeake oyster.

If you agree that introducing a non-native species to the Chesapeake is not worth the risk, please send this letter to the Army Corps of Engineers and ask them to support the draft Environmental Impact Statement alternative 8A: restoration and aquaculture of the native Chesapeake Bay oyster. Continue Reading »