 | Wild — After a harvest moratorium brought striped bass back from steep decline, the fishery now enjoys a reputation as a model of successful recovery. Possible certification by the Marine Stewardship Council could put eco-labels on Maryland striped bass and give the fishery a boost in the marketplace. |
Farmed — The culture of striped bass has expanded in the past two decades, but not in the Chesapeake region. This is primarily due to the high cost of land, lack of high volume groundwater, and competition with the wild fishery.
Wild — Hard clams support a small commercial fishery in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay, and an even smaller fishery in Maryland's coastal bays. The forthcoming ban on hydraulic harvest gear beginning in October 2008 may bring the end of Maryland's wild hard clam fishery.
Farmed — Hard clam mariculture (aquaculture in saline water) is a multi-million dollar industry in Virginia. Work is underway to ramp up successful efforts in Maryland's coastal bays, but the current small industry has met opposition from environmental groups and riparian property owners.
Wild — An important commercial fishery in the Chesapeake since the 1950s, most soft shell clams are exported to New England states where clam populations have declined. Consistently low landings in recent years suggest that Bay soft clams have declined as well.
Farmed — There is no soft clam mariculture industry in the Chesapeake, and development of one is unlikely due to widespread anoxia, the lack of hatchery production, disease, and heavy predation by cownosed rays.
Wild — Several species of shrimp occur as far north as the Mid-Atlantic, but there is no significant harvest for wild shrimp in the Chesapeake region. Major shrimp fishing grounds stretch from the Carolinas south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Farmed — Though not a traditional Chesapeake seafood, the development of high-tech shrimp aquaculture facilities on Maryland's Eastern Shore and in western Virginia may signal the start of a successful industry in the area.
