In June, the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team (“Fisheries GIT”)  held their biannual meeting at UMCES’ Horn Point Lab in Cambridge, Maryland. The meeting focused on the outlook for blue crabs this season, fish and habitat research progress updates, and new opportunities related to oyster restoration.

The Fisheries GIT is a group of federal (NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office) and state (Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, Virginia Marine Resources Commission) management agencies, scientists, non-profits, fishing industry representatives, and interested individuals that meets in person twice each year. The team plays an important role in discovering gaps in knowledge, supporting research to fill gaps, communicating science, keeping up with policy changes, and coordinating among Chesapeake Bay state jurisdictions. The Fisheries GIT is responsible for several outcomes under the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, including oyster restoration, blue crab abundance and management, fish habitat, and forage (smaller species that serve as prey for larger fish).

The group formally endorsed Maryland’s selection of Manokin River as the 10th tributary to receive large-scale oyster restoration by 2025.  See notice from Maryland about the selection.

The group discussed recommendations from the Oyster Best Management Practices Expert Panel, including specific estimates on nutrient assimilation and denitrification rates assigned to oyster restoration activities. Based on the Panel’s work, oyster reef restoration may soon be able to receive credit for achieving water quality goals through states’ Watershed Implementation Plans.

The winter dredge survey results indicated good news for blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. 2019 overwintering mortality was below average and adult female abundance is up. The 2019 Blue Crab Advisory Report, an annual update on the status of the population, was endorsed.

 

Other major themes from the meeting include:

• Protecting fish habitat (places where fish live) is critical for sustainable fisheries, because more habitat means more fish. The Fisheries GIT is interested in understanding where the most important habitats for fish are to prioritize conservation and restoration in those areas, particularly for young striped bass nursery habitat. Water column is also an important fish habitat to consider, for example, as low dissolved oxygen conditions force fish into smaller areas during hypoxia conditions.
• Invasive catfish continue to be a challenge for the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Blue and flathead catfish have rapidly expanded throughout the region, and have an appetite for native species like shad, menhaden, and blue crab that play important roles in our ecosystem and economy. The Invasive Catfish Workgroup will work to bring together stakeholders, promoting a coordinated, Bay-wide approach to the problem.

 

Contributions from Morgan Corey