Maryland Department of Natural Resources

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Oyster Advisory Commission

In 2020, through Natural Resources Articles 4-204 and 4-215, Annotated Code of Maryland, the Department of Natural Resources, in coordination with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, convened a restructured Oyster Advisory Commission. The Commission is tasked with:​

  1. Provide the Department with advice on matters related to oysters in the Chesapeake Bay;
  2. Review the best possible science and recommend changes to the framework and strategies for rebuilding and managing the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay under the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Management Plan;
  3. Review the latest findings relevant to the Environmental Impact Statement evaluating oyster restoration alternatives for the Chesapeake Bay;
  4. Review any other scientific, economic, or cultural information relevant to oysters in the Chesapeake Bay;
  5. Develop a package of consensus recommendations in coordination with the department for enhancing and implementing the fishery management plan for oysters. 
The fishery management plan shall:
  • End the overfishing of oysters in all areas and regions of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries where overfishing has occurred according to biological reference points established by the most recent oyster stock assessment while maintaining a harvest in the fishery;
  • Achieve fishing mortality rates at target levels;
  • Increase oyster abundance;
  • Increase oyster habitat; and
  • Facilitate the long-term sustainable harvest of oysters, including the public fishery.
​​The consensus recommendation package for enhancing and implementing the fishery management plan for oysters will be informed by a collaboratively developed, science-based modeling tool to quantify the long-term impacts of identified management actions and possible combinations of management actions on:
  • Oyster abundance;
  • Oyster habitat;
  • Oyster harvest;
  • Oyster harvest revenue; and
  • Nitrogen removal.
The consensus recommendation package will be developed through a facilitated process based on 75% majority agreement level whereas 60% of the voting commissioners are in the oyster industry.
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​In the past, the Oyster Advisory Commission was also tasked with #1 through #4 listed above as well as publishing a report in 2007 that developed:
  • Strategies to minimize the impact of disease, including the State repletion program and bar cleaning;
  • The framework and effectiveness of the oyster sanctuary, harvest reserve, and repletion programs, and the overall management of natural oyster bars, after performing a cost–benefit analysis that considers biological, ecological, economic, and cultural issues;
  • Strategies to maximize the ecological benefits of natural oyster bars; and
  • Strategies to improve enforcement of closed oyster areas.

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Oyster Advisory Commission Members​


Rob Witt
Anne Arundel County Oyster Committee

Blair Baltus
Baltimore County Oyster Committee​​

Simon Dean
Calvert County Oyster Committee

Francis Killinski
Charles County Oyster Committee

Cody Paul
​ Dorchester County Oyster Committee

Harry White
Kent County Oyster Committee

Troy Wilkins
Queen Anne’s County Oyster Committee

Kevin Horner
Somerset County Oyster Committee

Brian Hite
​ St. Mary’s County Oyster Committee

Jeff Harrison
Talbot County Oyster Committee

Keith Bradley
Wicomico County Oyster Committee​

Robert T. Brown
Maryland Watermen’s Association

Jim Mullin
Maryland Oysterman’s Association

Reginal Harrell
Aquaculture Coordinating Council

Dave Sikorski
Coastal Conservation Association

Allison Colden
Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Michelle Dietz
The Nature Conservancy

Ben Ford
​ ShoreRivers Riverkeeper Association

Elle Bassett
Arundel Rivers Federation

Anna Killius
Chesapeake Bay Commission

Maggie Ostdahl​
National Aquarium

Dr. Mike Sieracki
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Scott Knoche
Morgan State University- Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory

Jason Ruth
Harris Seafood

Tyrone Meredith
​ ​Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation

Johnny Shockley
Blue Oyster Environmental

Angie Sowers
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District

Kevin Schabow
​ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

​Kate Charbonneau 
​Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Del. Todd Morgan
​ State Delegate(republican)

Del. Regina Boyce
​ State Delegate(democrat)

Vacant​
​ State Senator(democrat)

Sen. Steve Hershey
State Senator(republican)


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Oyster Advisory Commission - Meetings


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Meeting agendas, minutes, presentations, and motions/a​ctions can be found in each calendar entry under "Additional Info".

For information related to meetings older than one year, please contact the administrator of this body, Eric Campbell at [email protected]​​
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