Maryland’s fledgling oyster farming industry is seeing its growth hampered by government red tape and permitting delays, several aquaculture business owners told state and federal officials Tuesday.
At a session organized by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), oyster farmers said that despite some regulatory streamlining several years ago, they still often face waits of six months to as long as eight years in getting needed government approvals to lease water or bottom in Chesapeake Bay tributaries. They appealed to Cardin and state and federal officials for help.
Johnny Shockley, a former waterman who co-owns an oyster farming operation on Hooper’s Island, said regulatory hurdles are one of the main bottlenecks constricting his and others’ ventures. If those hurdles could be removed or simplified, he said, aquaculture could be a “game changer” for boosting Maryland’s seafood industry.
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