Has someone approached you about leasing the water in front of your land? BE INFORMED.
Tens of Thousands of Floating Oyster Bags are being placed on and proposed on many rivers in our area.
What are Commercial Aquaculture Cages? AKA Floating Oyster Bags.
You know that oyster cage you have at your dock? Don’t they clean up the water? Yes, but now imagine a farm of them, tens of thousands of them parked above the water. In the water you use to boat, fish, crab and other public use.
This is on the Little Wicomico River
SPECIAL ALERT
If you find any uattended oyster floating bags, or get entangled, please contact IMMEDIATELY:
Marine Police Dispatch Center - 800-541-4646
VMRC (757) 247-2200 or email web.info@mrc.virginia.gov
How does this even happen?
The applicant applies, and then the VMRC issues a notice and a letter to the adjacent land owners.
The land owners don’t really understand the impact this will have on their property, and the next thing you know a lease has been conditionally approved because no one understood or responded.
And without an objection the application is approved
The image to the right is just one of many areas effected and right now the land owners are having to deal with it all, after the fact.
Floating bags could jeopardize the reputation of all Chesapeake Bay Oysters.
Just the debate and angry landowners is enough to tarnish an amazing reputation. THIS IS WHY MANY COMMERCIAL OYSTER FARMERS ARE OPPOSED.
Tens of Thousands Of Floating Oyster Bags Can Block Crabbers and Fishermen From Using Some Of The Most Bountiful Rivers On The Chesapeake Bay
THIS IS WHY MANY WATERMEN ARE OPPOSED.
BOATING SAFTEY -
Imagine for one second, a child is hurt while tubing by hitting some of the bags.
The small creeks are tough to navigate even without floating bags and at night it can be very confusing. Large and small boats navigate through many of the proposed areas.
Trying to get out of your dock area can be tough, not to mention dangerous
Let’s be honest, not all the boaters out there these days are that good at it, especially on Jet Skis. One run into the floaters and it could be catastrophic.
THIS IS WHY MANY BOATERS ARE OPPOSED.
