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Oyster Season Could Be Extended

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Maryland’s oyster season could be extended until mid-April after this winter’s icy waters kept many watermen from their harvest.

Watermen are seeking an extension of 10 days until April 14th.

Johnny Shockley of Hooper’s Island told the Salisbury Daily Times that it had been a particularly brutal winter and that the watermen could not get those days back.

Most of the harvesting is done before the New Year but the freeze could have affected many who come to the bay to harvest oysters.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be taking public comment until March 11th.

The Daily Times also reports that the big freeze had an impact on aquaculture as well. 

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.