Division sends draft Amendment 5 (Eastern oyster) for advisory and public review, proposes habitat-focused harvest tiers

The commission agreed to circulate a draft of Amendment 5 to the Eastern Oyster fishery management plan for advisory-committee and public review after staff presented a package focused on reef protection and targeted harvest.

Division biologists summarized two information papers: one on habitat-enhancement programs (culture planting and sanctuary networks) and another on intertidal-harvest trends. Staff said cult-planting has expanded significantly — the division estimates tens of thousands of bushels planted over recent decades — and that planted reef productivity and wild-reef condition differ, complicating harvest-management choices.

To address habitat decline and support sustainable harvest, the mechanical-harvest issue paper proposes a three-tier approach: (1) deepwater oyster recovery areas closed to mechanical harvest and prioritized for habitat value; (2) culture-supported harvest areas managed with preseason sampling to set fixed season lengths so harvest is predictable and tied to measured condition; and (3) large rotational culture sites (roughly 10 acres each) that would be harvested on a multi-year rotation to provide predictable fishery opportunity while allowing replenishment.

Staff also raised a broader information issue for future work: the absence of a reliable recreational shellfish participation count. Without a registry or permit system, the division cannot expand survey data to produce accurate statewide recreational removals — a critical data gap for any future oyster stock assessment. Staff recommended pursuing options to estimate or register recreational harvesters, potentially outside the immediate FMP process.

Commissioners voted to send the draft Amendment 5 for standing and regional advisory-committee review and public comment. Staff will collect feedback and present recommended changes for commission consideration in 2025.