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News
Officials announce consensus on oysters
April 6 , 2009
NORFOLK, Va.—The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) Executive Committee announced today that it has identified a native-only restoration strategy as the preferred alternative in the final PEIS due for publication next month.
The Executive Committee includes the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the secretaries of natural resources for the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia, working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission.
"Based on the current state of the science and extensive public review, the use of non-native oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, its tidal tributaries and the coastal bays and waters of Maryland and Virginia poses ecological risks. Therefore, it is prudent for us to adopt a native oyster alternative, while allowing for scientific research for improving our understanding of non-native oyster ecology and restoration implications. This is critical since the PEIS was inclusive whether the native oyster can make a full comeback Bay wide," said Col. Dionysios "Dan" Anninos, Norfolk District commander, during a media teleconference.
In reaching the agreement, Anninos praised the role of Virginia and Maryland, as well as the federal and non-federal partners in the almost five-year study.
The governors of Maryland and Virginia also praised the teamwork and cooperation:
"Over the past two years, the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia have built an unprecedented partnership to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its living resources," said Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. "I am extremely pleased that, together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we have reached an agreement on a preferred oyster restoration alternative, one that will not threaten the Bay's already stressed ecosystem. We look forward to finalizing this process over the next few months, and to collaborating with our partners in Virginia to use new science developed through this extraordinary study to support both the ecological restoration of our native oyster and the revitalization of our oyster industry with emphasis on new aquaculture opportunities."
"Virginia has long been committed to finding solutions that address the decline in oysters in the Chesapeake Bay and we're proud of the collaborative progress we've made through a strong regional partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland, and federal agencies," said Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine. "While we have seen certain promise in c. ariakensis aquaculture from the Virginia Seafood Council trials over the past seven years, we agree—based on the recommendations of our Virginia Institute of Marine Science—that moving forward we should focus primarily on restoring the Bay's native oyster. We're pleased the Corps will allow for possible continued c. ariakensis experiments under tightly-controlled conditions so that we can continue answering scientific questions in the future."
A 30-day public comment period will follow publication of the final PEIS, with a formal Record of Decision expected to be published in late June/early July.