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Monday, March 02, 2015

The new culture of the watermen

HOOPER's ISLAND — Watermen and farmers have been the backbone of the Eastern Shore for more than 200 years, providing an economic boon for the region. However, the same way of life that put the Eastern Shore on the map and great food like Maryland blue crabs and oysters on plates across America, is the very same that has contributed to the declining health of the Chesapeake Bay.

According to a 2011 study published in theMarine Ecology Progress Series, oyster populations in the Bay are at 0.3 percent of the historical values of 200 years ago due to habitat loss, disease and over-harvesting.

However, by combining the two historically significant industries of commercial fishing and farming, aquaculture has been gaining traction as a solution to maintaining the economic viability of the Chesapeake.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

They will blame the entire world before they acknowledge the truth, that the poison toxic sediment must be dredge from the conawingo dam. But they will continue to keep this crisis at hand....

Anonymous said...

They will blame anyone but those responsible.
Decades of DELIBERATE toxic dumping at Aberdeen proving grounds has demonstrated the chemicals like AGENT EFFING ORANGE actually work to kill life.
It may help to mention the 50 MILLION people that live in the bay watershed too.

(NO it's the chickens.) sarc