Experts debate oyster proposal

Non-native Asian oyster offers both hope and worry

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008

At issue during the Oct. 10 meeting at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons was the proposed introduction of the Suminoe, or Asian, oyster in the bay and its tributaries. Proponents say the species, C. ariakensis, which is resistant to diseases decimating the native strain, could rescue the watermen's community and filter pollution from the water, while skeptics worry about the consequences of releasing an alien species and its possible effects on the native oyster, C. virginica. A study of the controversy will be released in November.

George Abbe with the Morgan State University Estuarine Research Center in St. Leonard presented data showing the disastrous decline of the oyster harvest from a peak of about 15 million bushels in the late 19th century to less than a quarter-million in 2005.

Abbe stressed that, whatever path is taken on oyster restoration, mitigation of human impacts on the watershed is necessary for the bay to thrive.

"It's not fair to make the oyster the one who has to do all the work. It's just not possible, no matter how many we put overboard, if we don't clean up the water quality. We've got so many people in here that that require so many [things], it makes it difficult to bring it back," Abbe said.

Dermo, an oyster disease thriving in salty conditions, is taking its toll on the population as well. Oysters may have started developing resistance to the Asian disease, he said. But even if this is true, natural recovery may require more patience than we have.

"Maybe one day, our oysters will be completely resistant to Dermo, but it may take 500 to 1,000 years, and most of us don't want to wait that long," Abbe said.

Mark Bryer, representing the Maryland Oyster Advisory Committee, said that in the Rappahannock River, which has been closed to harvest for more than a decade, oysters have started demonstrating disease resistance, but he agreed that that might not be enough.

The determination to try to "restore a native oyster populations all at once, with 17,000 people living in the watershed, is perhaps not the most reasonable place to start."

Edwin Smith, who was born on Smith Island and owns Capt. Smith's Seafood Market in Solomons, described the destruction of a traditional Maryland culture by the disappearance of the oyster.

"All these little waterfront communities are losing their character because their industry is going. … A lot of the younger kids, there are not many now getting into it now, but the ones who are won't be privy to that [information passed down through the generations]. All this information is gone and it's sad to see they're probably not going to get it back. What I'm here for, what I'd like to see is this industry not go any more downhill," he said.

Bob Parkinson, who grows oysters on artificial surface reefs, held out aquaculture as hope for the bay and its watermen. But he acknowledged that the approach has its limits.

"I don't think, the way we do this, it's ever going to do what we want, which is retain the wild fisheries, but I think it might at least help the creeks. My goal of 10 years — two years with no progress — is to have about a three million harvest using surface reef aquaculture. We can get there, it takes about 3,000 acres. Three thousand acres on the entire surface of the bay is not a lot."

Members of the audience raised the question of watermen poaching oysters from protected reefs, which some of the panelists acknowledged is a problem. Listener Andrew Murdza of Tall Timbers, the self-styled "Oyster King," said he would be willing to use drastic measures to protect his own projects.

"I think if someone goes down there and rips off … my [oyster] cages, I'd shoot him. We need that harsh a law. I don't want to sound like a radical but I don't want my babies hurt," he said.

In response to a question, Abbe said it isn't known just what effect the Asian oyster might have on the native species, or whether competition could wipe the natives out of the bay.

One possibility would be that native oysters would thrive in the upper bay, where low salinity means less disease, while the hardier Asian oyster would colonize the lower bay.

"In truth, we don't have all the information we need to answer that question. But I think there is a good chance they would coexist," he said.

Bryer raised at least one concern, that the two species sharing the same habitat could cross-fertilize; these offspring would not live.

"Both lose fertility effectiveness when they're next to each other," he said.

Ariakensis also shows signs of being able to outcompete the natives, with uncertain consequences, Bryer said. "Tests definitely show ariakensis definitely grows much faster than virginica in high-salinity areas and I'm wondering about an examination of the downside."

At the end of the meeting, former Sen. Bernie Fowler characteristically urged residents not to give up on the bay no matter how bad the news gets.

"I'm not Einstein, I'm not a rocket scientist, but I'm smart enough to know that the [Patuxent] River will only take so much," he said.

"Our children are going to hate us if we don't do something to clean this water up and they'll have every reason to do so. If we're going to grow, let somebody pay for that growth. I'm not trying to stop growth but let somebody pay for it. Let's bring some sanity back."

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th), majority leader, spoke briefly at the beginning of the conference, then departed.

emitrano@somdnews.com