Talbot County OKs $125,000 pilot to plant oysters for water quality credits and local harvest

The County Council voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding with Ferry Cove Shellfish Incorporated to plant spat‑on‑shell on about 10 acres in Harris Creek as a pilot oyster‑growing and harvest project supported by a $125,000 county contribution. County Engineer Ray Clark and Stephan Abel of Ferry Cove described the project as a joint effort with the Talbot Watermen’s Association and local spat producers.

Staff explained the pilot will plant diploid oysters on barren bottom with a conservative survival assumption (3 percent) used for credit calculations. The oysters will reproduce naturally; staff told council the earliest marketable harvest is likely in year three, with some growth possible in year two. Projected harvest over the pilot horizon is roughly 2,600 bushels, with combined dockside and economic impacts estimated around $400,000; nutrient credits would be realized at harvest and could be sold on the Maryland Department of the Environment market or applied to permitted facilities’ obligations.

Council asked whether planting on public bottom would make the oysters part of the public fishery; staff said the project is being planted on public bottom but will be closed to harvest until state authorization and monitoring ensure credits can be calculated. Credits associated with a single planting were described as accruing across years two through five under the BMP and monitoring plan; the county acknowledged they take entrepreneurial risk tied to survival and monitoring outcomes.

Council approved the memorandum of understanding and the county contribution by unanimous vote and asked staff to provide monitoring plans and anticipated credit schedules as the pilot proceeds.