The Maryland Department of the Environment says that shellfish harvesting can now take place in part of a Somerset County waterway at any time.
Waterman Wayne Bozman said the opening of this waterway for anytime harvesting may help those with private oyster grounds.
An oyster lease allows an individual, business or university to grow shellfish in a certain area.
About 943 acres of shellfish harvesting waters — including about 53 acres of oyster leases — of the Big Annemessex River have been opened to anytime harvesting.
But he told the Salisbury Daily Times that the Big Annemessex River isn’t a big area for watermen to harvest shellfish.
The Maryland Department of the Environment said that the upper portion of the Big Annemessex River will stay conditionally approved — the level that depends on rainfall — and Hall Creek, which was already closed to shellfish harvesting, will stay that way.
