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• Ecological Restoration

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• Monitoring & Assessment
  

  

• ​​ Marylanders Grow Oysters

  

• Aquaculture
  
  

  

Public Oyster Resource

Links for commercial and recreational harvesters about the public oyster fishery:

• 2024-2025 Shellfish Closure Book with Bar Names (26 ​MB pdf)​
  
• Maryland Shellfish Closure Areas
• Map of Permitted Oyster Harvest Gear​​​
• ​iShellfish Mapping App ​​
• Additional Areas Closed to Oystering by Public Notice​​
  

​Additional Links for Commercial Oyster Harvesters:

• Commercial Shellfish Harvester Closure Area Information Portal​
• How To Buy and Sell Shellfish Commercially in Maryland
• Oyster Harvester INDIVIDUAL Tag Requirements and Example
  
• Oyster Harvester BULK Tag Requirements and Example​​
  
• Bulk Tagging Wild Fishery FAQ​
  
• Historic Oyster Bars
• Public Shellfish Fishery Areas of the Chesapeake Bay and It's Tidal Tributaries June 2023
  
• County Oyster Committees
• Commercial Public Oyster Fishery Landings​​
  

Additional Links for Recreational Oyster Harvesters:​​​

• Oyster and Clam Recreational Harvest Rules Summary​
  
• A required $10 recreational oyster license is available under the Sport Fishing menu on ​​ compass.dnr.maryland.gov/​
  

Before going out recreational oystering it is important to be aware of places in your area which are closed to shellfishing. To find if there are any closures in your area, you should first check the State of Maryland Shellfish Closure Area book. The book has maps and coordinates for the Sanctuary and Reserve areas. The book also shows the boundaries of the historic oyster bars and can help you locate possible areas to find oysters. Other closed areas may be found on the Public Notice page under the "Shellfish Closures/Openings" tab. Additionally, the Maryland Department of the Environment may have closures in your area due to pollution, please refer to their website. Restricted areas are always closed to harvest, while conditional areas are closed if there is 1" or more of rain in any 24-hour period. To find out what conditional areas are closed after a rainfall, you can visit the website or call toll free 1-800-541-1210.

Oyster shell is an important and limited resource. So once you've enjoyed your oysters, please consider donating the leftover shells to the Oyster Recovery Partnership. The shells will go towards creating more oysters for a variety of projects around the Chesapeake Bay. The Oyster Recovery Partnership has public drop-off points around Maryland where your shells can be donated.

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Oyster Gardening Registration

Oyster gardeners and growers are now required to register with the Department of Natural Resources. The registration process begins February 1, 2013 and can be completed using an online form. Details regarding this registration requirement are available in a Fact S​heet on Oyster Gardening.

Shell Recycling Alliance​