"Some watermen have been pushing for this dredging. Yet the permit application does not say if the dredged shell will be used to help grow and harvest more oysters, or to help grow oysters protected from harvest, or both. The general public has a great interest in the health of oysters in the Bay. "Maryland still has not disclosed who will benefit from this dredging. We'll have more shell for replenishing harvest areas if we use alternatives elsewhere.
In Harris Creek, for instance, stone reefs support 400 percent more oysters than shell reefs, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Granite, crushed concrete, and other materials are viable alternatives to shell for building sanctuary reefs. The harm of the dredging outweighs the benefit. "Dredging Man-O-War Shoal will provide little help to the oyster population in Maryland, but it will damage important fish habitat. The Army Corps issued a provisional permit for the work. Army Corps of Engineers on May 17 granted a request by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to dredge up to five million bushels of oyster shells from the Man-O-War Shoals near the mouth of the Patapsco River over five years, and perhaps as many as 30 million bushels longer term. (ANNAPOLIS, MD)-Alison Prost, Maryland Executive Director, issued this statement following a media report that the U.S.
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