Aquafarming

The Chesapeake Bay oyster resource and fishery have shown wide temporal population fluctuations generating controversy regarding restoration methods. Disagreements stem from a lack of accurate and defensible data upon which to base decisions. Many commercial oyster harvesters favor dredging using metal scrapes towed by powered harvest vessels as a beneficial practice. Harvesters state that expanding this type of dredging throughout the Bay would lead to increased biomass and public harvest. Scientific and environmental communities dispute this claim, pointing to differences between bottom renovation and recruitment. This has created problems for managers who must consider multiple factors in regulating fisheries. To understand the effect of dredging on populations, we analyzed data from scientific studies to predict the likely outcome of these activities. This paper evaluates the cost-effectiveness and effects on production of restoration options. We compare power dredging and natural recruitment to rebuild biomass to contemporary aquaculture techniques. Authors: Donald Webster and Donald Meritt; Title: Predicting Oyster Production: A Comparison of Natural Recruitment and Aquaculture (EB-449)