Portfolio III: Fisheries and Seafood Production

The Issue

Despite access to two major fishing grounds - the Chesapeake Bay and the Mid-Atlantic Bight - Maryland's historical preeminence as a fishing state has seen a sharp decline over the last two decades, largely due to the near elimination of the oyster fishery (see portfolio) and the continuing development of fisheries in other regions. Currently Maryland ranks 14 out of 33 coastal and Great Lakes states in terms of value of landed fish. While a variety of fish are landed commercially in Maryland, the value of the catch is dominated by only a few species - blue crab, oysters and striped bass, which account for 83% of the total dockside value of landings. According to a recent survey, blue crabs alone account for 67% of watermen income from fishing. On the other hand, recreational fishing continues to thrive, and easy access of a large urban and suburban population to these fishing grounds results in Maryland's recreational fisheries being valued at $523 million annually to anglers. At a 5% rate of discount, the asset value of Maryland's recreational fisheries is estimated to be $13 billion.

The challenges facing the region's commercial fishing industry are particularly demanding, and include biological, economic and social dimensions. These challenges relate particularly to the blue crab but include other species as well. For example, there is a lack of understanding of key biological factors, such as the life cycle, growth and development of the blue crab or how variables in the open environment affect the survival of juvenile fish such as shad. Economically, the region's commercial fishing industry faces variable harvests of such key species as the blue crab and, at the same time, increasing competition from as far away as Asia and Indonesia. Socially, local communities that depend on seafood-related businesses face rapid change and loss of their regional identity, as traditional seafood businesses deal with labor shortages, poor quality harvests and rising competition.

Fisheries, then, constitutes the spectrum of interrelated sectors that include resource management, harvesting, processing, seafood safety, marketing and distribution. To demonstrate Sea Grant's contribution to these various sections, this portfolio presents several specifically targeted areas to highlight strategic investments in blue crab management, seafood safety, softshell crab shedding and hard clam aquaculture. These investments represent choices that Maryland Sea Grant has made, choices that maximize our potential contribution particularly through the development of strong partnerships.