June 2, 2025 — The most updated edition of the annual Chesapeake Bay blue crab winter dredge survey has found that the blue crab population in the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia is the second-smallest recorded in recent history.
The survey, conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, estimated the total crab population to be 238 million, just above 2022’s all-time low of 226 million.
May 30, 2025 — Striped bass are once again at the center of a debate between Maryland’s charter boat captains and the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
To address declining striped bass populations, DNR is proposing changes that would allow catch-and-release fishing in April and the first two weeks of May, when the species is typically off-limits during its spring spawning season. In exchange, the department wants to close the fishery for the month of August.
“The spawning population of fish is relatively healthy. It is the resident fish in Maryland that live here for the first five years of their life—those are the fish that are in most trouble,” said Mike Luisi, branch director for Management and Science with Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources Fishing and Boating Services.
May 28, 2025 — A plan by Maryland to reopen fishing for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay during their spring spawning season has raised questions about whether it’s a good idea amid a six-year slump in reproduction by the prized migratory fish species.
The Department of Natural Resources wants to lift its current ban on fishing for striped bass, also known as rockfish, during April and the first two weeks of May. It proposes to allow catch-and-release in April, and then, starting May 1, keeping one fish a day measuring 19 to 24 inches.
To offset that change, DNR said it would close fishing for striped bass altogether for all of August, a change from the previous two-week closure in late July. The monthlong closure aims to reduce the heat-related deaths of fish that can happen even if they’re promptly released after being caught.
DNR has asked the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to include this change in Maryland’s fishing seasons beginning in 2026, as it weighs new steps to speed rebuilding of the striped bass population from past overfishing. The commission, which regulates near-shore fishing for migratory fish species, aims to decide by the end of the year.
DNR said it wants to simplify its regulations and align the state’s striped bass fishing season more closely with Virginia and the separately regulated Potomac River. It also wants to give anglers more incentive to fish in the spring. Mike Luisi, DNR’s fisheries assessment manager, said the closures currently in effect in Maryland have essentially driven all anglers off the water and hurt the business of tackle shops and some fishing guides.
The Maryland proposal, though, has rekindled long-standing friction between commercial and recreational fishing interests. At the Atlantic States commission’s May 6 meeting in Crystal City, VA, Brian Hardman, the head of the Maryland Charter Boat Association charged that Maryland’s proposal would expand striped bass fishing greatly for anglers who practice catch-and-release while further restricting those who want to bring their catch home to eat. Charter captains have reported declines of up to 70% in bookings in 2024 after a rule change deprived their customers of the ability to keep two striped bass per trip.
May 23, 2025 — Watermen in Worcester County say they don’t want a penny out of a proposed $20 million relief package from an offshore wind farm developer.
“The (Department of Natural Resources) asked us for input, and we’re not negotiating our livelihood. That’s our life. We’re not going to make an agreement to put ourselves out of business,” said Jeanene Gwin, vice president of the Waterman’s Association of Worcester County.
Watermen are rejecting the agreement inked last week between offshore wind developer US Wind and environmental officials in Maryland and Delaware, one that aims to compensate the fishing community for negative effects of a proposed wind farm to be located about 11 miles off Ocean City’s shoreline.
According to the MOU, which is a public document, US Wind promises to create a $20 million relief fund for fishermen whose businesses would be harmed not only by the 114-turbine wind farm, but also the accompanying operations and maintenance facility to be built in the West Ocean City commercial fishing harbor.
Millions would be set aside incrementally for each years-long phase of the project – construction, operations, and eventual decommissioning. The dollar amount goes “above and beyond what is required by” federal agencies, US Wind said in a May 14 statement.
“This proposal – one of the biggest investments in commercial fishing in the region – demonstrates our commitment to the fishing industry and the local community in which we’ll operate,” said US Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski.
May 22, 2025 — US Wind has agreed to provide USD 20 million (EUR 17.8 million) in compensation to commercial fishers and related businesses in the U.S. states of Maryland or Delaware who have been impacted by the development of wind power off the coast of Maryland.
In 2014, US Wind secured an 80,000-acre federal lease area in the Atlantic Ocean, with plans to build a wind energy facility just over 11 miles off the shores of Ocean City, Maryland. As part of securing a lease, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) determined that wind energy developers must compensate the commercial fishing sector for any potential lost revenue caused by construction.
May 20, 2025 — As the prospect of offshore wind projects along the coast continues, the town of Ocean City and now the Waterman’s Association seem to be on the same page in declaring that they are “not for sale.” That’s the claim made in a statement this week by Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan.
The statement was a response to a $20 million dollar investment proposal that is aimed at supporting commercial fishing operations in Maryland.
The Memoranda of Understanding between US Wind and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources was designed to asswage concerns from the local fishing industry over plans for offshore wind.
Read the full article at Coast TV
May 19, 2025 — Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed into law legislation designed to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and simplify reporting for the state’s aquaculture sector.
“We have a responsibility to hand over the state to the next generation better than we found it. That’s not just a moral priority; that’s an economic imperative,” Moore said in a statement. “The Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act will uplift every sector of our bay economy, from agriculture to aquaculture. Together, we will protect and preserve our natural heirlooms and drive economic growth. Those missions aren’t in conflict; they’re in concert.”
Read the full article at SeafoodSource
May 14, 2025 — Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed what he called “the most comprehensive piece of Chesapeake Bay legislation that Maryland has seen in years,” at a time when federal cuts threaten environmental programs for the estuary.
The Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act was signed Tuesday, one of 171 bills signed into law at the fourth and next-to-last bill signing ceremony following the 2025 legislative session.
The wide-ranging Legacy Act allots “up to $900,000 per year” to a new certification program for farmers who use sustainable practices that decrease runoff into the bay, establishes a water quality monitoring program to unify current testing efforts and aims to streamline oyster aquaculture leasing, among other provisions.
“At a time when we see how our federal administration has stepped back from protecting our air and our water, Maryland is stepping up,” Moore said.
The governor also signed an abortion grant program that will help fund abortion services for uninsured and underinsured individuals, and a bill allowing individuals with autism and other nonapparent conditions to add an identifying symbol to their state IDs. That, and Tuesday saw the approval of a new state mineral, chromite, and a new state cocktail, the Orange Crush.
April 28, 2025 — The Trump administration’s plans to propose budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) could jeopardize efforts to restore the health of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).
According to the CBF, the administration’s potential budget cuts would slash NOAA’s total budget by $1.7 billion, from $6.1 billion to $4.5 billion. It would also reduce funding for the National Marine Fisheries Service by approximately 30 percent.
How would the cuts affect the Chesapeake Bay?
The proposed budget plan would significantly reduce NOAA’s financial support and scientific leadership for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.
Under the plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which currently operates with a budget of $1.1 billion, would be reduced to $789.3 million in fiscal year 2026 under the planned budget.
The NMFS houses NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office, which leads science initiatives across the region and works closely with the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program on restoration efforts, according to the CBF.
April 1, 2025 — The Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission has imposed new regulations on striped bass. The decision came after concerns over below-average striped bass numbers in the Chesapeake Bay.
Robert Newberry, CEO of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, claims the ASMFC unfairly targeted watermen. “We constantly complain to the ASMFC that reducing from our 2 fish on the stripe-bass for charter boats is cutting 50% of our industry right out of the gate.”
The Commission pushed for these implementations because they believed they would restore balance to the bay. Management Plan Coordinator Emilie Franke, said this was the best move to save striped bass.
“Right now, the stock is over-fished, which means it is below our threshold for female spawning stock biomass, which means all the mature females that can spawn and contribute new fish to the stock.”
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