Watermen Fight Bill They Say Threatens Their Way Of Life

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- A lot of Maryland watermen were on dry land in Annapolis Tuesday, navigating the state legislature.

Alex DeMetrick reports they're fighting a bill they say threatens their way of life.

The oyster season is over in Maryland and watermen say it was another good year---but a bill called the Sustainable Oyster Harvest Act has them worried about the years to come.

"The commercial community is concerned that this bill starts us down the road to a moratorium," said waterman Bunky Chance.

The Department of Natural Resources surveys oyster bars and counts up the catch to gauge the bay's oyster population. The bill calls for different measurements.

"It usurps the power of the DNR and gives it to the University of Maryland to do surveys of oyster bars and tell the watermen whether they can go to work on the oyster bars next year," said waterman Russel Dize.

University of Maryland scientists would set sustainable harvest rates by assessing oyster stocks and determine if there is overfishing.

"I'm in favor of it. We've had unscientific management for a number of decades," said Doug Lyman.

But watermen say DNR's science is already up to the job.

"This is uncalled for now. This study is $340,000 coming out of the taxpayers," said Robert Brown, president of Maryland's Watermen's Association.

For watermen, it boils down to the threat of science putting them out of business.

"Put it in the hands of the number crunchers," Chance said.

Which could dictate the number of oysters harvested.

A similar version of the Sustainable Oyster Act has already cleared Maryland's Senate.

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