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As the commercial oyster season starts to wind down, it鈥檚 clear that things have vastly improved from just 20 years ago, when disease and death meant watermen harvested just 26,000 bushels of oysters. Last year, that number was , according to Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. For state leaders, it鈥檚 a success story, and an indication that conservation efforts and restrictions are working. But they also admit there鈥檚 some luck involved.

Conservation, restoration and ‘plain luck’

鈥淲e’ve done a lot of work on restoration of the big five,鈥� said Lynn Fegley, the director of fishing and boating services with Maryland鈥檚 Department of Natural Resources. She was referring to the five oyster sanctuaries that are now off limits to harvesting: Harris Creek and the Little Choptank, Tred Avon River, St. Mary鈥檚 River and Manokin River. All but the St. Mary鈥檚 are located on the Eastern Shore, and together they make up almost 25% of the state鈥檚 prime oyster beds.

鈥淏etween restoration, managing the fishery and just plain luck from Mother Nature, I think that’s what’s gotten us into this place,鈥� she said.

In this case, luck is relative, since she鈥檚 referring to recent summertime droughts that have hampered farming in the mid-Atlantic. But with less rain water draining into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, those waters saw an increase in salinity levels.

鈥淗igher salinity is helpful for oysters to settle,鈥� Fegley said. 鈥淲hen we had this dry period where the water was saltier, that’s what really kicks oysters into gear, in terms of producing a good spat set.鈥�

It also means a better tasting oyster right now, at least in Brown鈥檚 opinion.

鈥淚t’s got good meat into them here and it’s our future. We needed this to bring it back,鈥� Brown said.

Brown, who is also the president of the Maryland Watermen鈥檚 Association, said the repeated rainfall that鈥檚 drenched the mid-Atlantic the past couple of months will reduce that salinity at a time when oysters need that to boost their immune system and avoid disease.

But just when supplies are rising, demand appears to be waning, meaning Maryland鈥檚 watermen are making less money than they used to.

Bushels sell for less, impacting watermen鈥檚 bottom line

鈥淲ell, it’s very simple. I think seafood is a luxury,鈥� Brown said.

Even though many economic indicators are and have been positive for a while, it doesn鈥檛 mean people haven鈥檛 been wary about spending on certain things. And Brown said at the grocery store the amount of chicken or beef you can get for $35 goes a lot further than the amount of oysters you can get for $35. That鈥檚 sent the price of a bushel of oysters from $45-50 down to around $35.

鈥淲hen you’re down that much on your sales, that’s your gross, that’s where you profit is,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淵our profit is not in the first bushel you catch, it’s in the last bushel you catch because you know you got to keep the boots up, the equipment up.”

That鈥檚 all happening even though watermen have had to cut back on the amount of time they can be out dredging for oysters.

When watermen could sell a bushel for $50 鈥� 20 bushels a day could bring in $1,000. But now, selling each bushel for $35, the same amount of oysters brings in $700.

That $300 difference every day starts to add up, Brown said.

But Brown said the seafood industry usually lets one population rebound while another product is in high demand.

鈥淲hen oysters fell off the past few years, crabbing picked up, so that’s the reason why we have to be able to diversify,” he said. “We can go crab more, and then when oysters pick up, that takes the pressure off the crab. So that can rebound.”

In the meantime, the state of Maryland is trying to help improve the market and perception of the state鈥檚 oyster industry, which has to compete with oysters from the north Atlantic as well as the Gulf of Mexico. Late last year, Matthew Scales was hired to serve as the Director of Seafood Marketing for the state鈥檚 Department of Agriculture. He鈥檚 aware of the challenges.

鈥淲e’ve been fearing a recession for a while now and people tightening their budget,鈥� said Scales, who was in Boston this week for the North American Seafood Expo. 鈥淲e haven’t had a recession. The economy has been stable.鈥�

Now it鈥檚 about trying to push a message of “hey, it’s OK to celebrate.”

鈥淗ave a birthday, anniversary, celebrate around seafood. Seafood is a great source of protein and it’s a great item to splurge on every once in a while and you鈥檝e got to treat yourself,” Scales said.

鈥淭his is a premium product,鈥� he added.

Early efforts, including a marketing campaign that tied Maryland鈥檚 oysters to its local beer industry, FeBREWary, showed signs of success, he said. Scales is working with restaurants in the Annapolis area to celebrate National Oyster on the Half Shell Day on March 31, he said. Later this year, he鈥檒l be going to an expo hosted by the USDA and the National Restaurant Association in the hopes of opening up more midwestern markets to Maryland鈥檚 watermen.

It’s work that Brown appreciates, even if he鈥檚 skeptical that the right marketing campaign will bring prices back up again. At the same time, he still sees a much brighter future for an industry he鈥檚 been working in since the 1960s, when he was in high school.

鈥淲ith all these little oysters, we got a bright future for us,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚t’s what we’ve been needing. They help filter the water in the bay, clean the water up and also it gives us a place where we can look forward, where we can make our living in the future.”

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