Maryland’s oyster restoration and sanctuary protection measures are working, but this progress is under threat by legislation in the General Assembly and budget cuts, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Juvenile oysters, called “spat,” have reached their second highest numbers in Maryland since 1985, according to the 2025 Fall Oyster Survey, which was released on Monday. This is the sixth consecutive year oyster reproduction has been above average in the state. Legislators, however, are debating potential cuts to oyster restoration funding, along with a bill that would threaten oyster sanctuaries. “Oyster restoration in the Bay is working, and these strong survey results show it,” said Julie Luecke, coastal resource scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland, in a statement. The survey, conducted by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), measures oysters’ reproductive success and potential population growth. It showed approximately 250 oyster spat per bushel across a wide range of sampled oyster reefs. The number of adult oysters in Maryland has increased three-fold, with the largest increases in sanctuaries targeted for restoration under the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. This success is the result of years of targeted investment and strategic scientific effort to restore Maryland’s oyster sanctuaries. Protected sanctuary reefs offer a huge habitat for the fish population, creating great opportunities for recreational angling. The large oyster growth that results from these protected reefs is good for the oyster harvest in areas outside the protected reefs, as well. Before this year’s oyster market collapse, the past five years’ harvests rivaled numbers not seen since the late 1980s. Despite evidence of this proven success, the protections are at risk. Governor Wes Moore’s proposed budget includes a 41% reduction for oyster restoration in the DNR capital budget. The DNR funds reef construction and oyster plantings in sanctuary areas. The General Assembly is also considering a bill (HB1388/SB0875) that could open more than 56,000 acres of protected oyster sanctuaries to harvest, subjecting it to harmful techniques, like dredging. This would undo the progress made over the years, involving time, money, and effort put into protecting and increasing the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay. The bill would take protected status away from sanctuaries just when Maryland has recommitted to an additional 1,100 acres of reef restoration in the new 2025 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. “Maryland cannot backslide on decades of progress and investment,” Luecke said. “Legislators must reject destructive proposals to dredge sanctuary oyster reefs and cut the oyster restoration budget. When Maryland leaders protect oysters, they also protect clean water, coastal communities, and local economies. Not doing so would undermine decades of progress and investment.”  ...read more read less