Chesapeake Bay Oyster Management Plan

Nonnative Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay discusses the proposed plan to offset the dramatic decline in the bay's native oysters by introducing disease-resistant reproductive Suminoe oysters from Asia. It suggests this move should be delayed until more is known about the environmental risks, even though carefully regulated cultivation of sterile Asian oysters in contained areas could help the local industry and researchers. It is also noted that even though these oysters eat the excess algae caused by pollution, it could take decades before there are enough of them to improve water quality.

The Chesapeake Bay Program was created in 1983 when MD, PA, VA, D.C., the Chesapeake Bay Comm., & the EPA agreed to establish a partnership to restore the Chesapeake Bay. Their most recent agreement, Chesapeake 2000,Ó sets out an agenda & 5 broad goals to guide these efforts through 2010 & contains 102 commitments that the partners agreed to accomplish. This report examines: (1) the extent to which appropriate measures for assessing restoration progress have been established; (2) the extent to which current reporting mechanisms clearly & accurately describe the Bay's overall health; (3) how much funding was provided for the effort for FY 1995 through 2004; & (4) how effectively the effort is being managed. Charts & tables.