ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland watermen will get two extra weeks to harvest oysters this season after weeks of ice and frigid temperatures kept boats off the water this winter.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday, Feb. 19, that it is extending the state’s commercial oyster season through April 14. The season had been set to close on March 31.
DNR says the extension is meant to help watermen make up for lost time after many waterways and parts of the Chesapeake Bay froze in January and early February.
State officials say the extra two weeks come with the same rules already in place, and all current gear restrictions and bushel limits will remain in effect.
In a statement, DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz said watermen have faced a difficult season with ice blocking access to traditional harvest areas and with recent declines in market demand. Kurtz says the decision was made after conversations with industry stakeholders and scientists, and that DNR does not believe the extension will threaten the broader recovery of oysters in the Bay and local rivers.
Maryland Congressman Andy Harris previously called on the federal government to declare a fishery disaster for oystermen amid the freezing conditions.
Before the extension was approved, DNR says it received a request from the State Oyster Committee, which includes representatives from county oyster committees. The chair of the Tidal Fish Advisory Commission, made up of commercial watermen and seafood dealers, reviewed and supported that request before submitting it to DNR for consideration.
Ice was a major factor statewide this winter. DNR says staff led ice-breaking operations using two state vessels to keep navigation channels open and help watermen reach fishing grounds. Even with those efforts, conditions caused waterways to refreeze quickly and left many commercial boats tied up at the dock.
The department says the extension also comes during a tough market for oysters. Despite wide availability in harvest areas, watermen report buyers have not been purchasing as many oysters. Many watermen told the department that during the previous two years, buyers sometimes purchased oysters only one day a week, or even less.
DNR is encouraging Marylanders to support watermen and the communities that rely on commercial fishing by purchasing Maryland oysters at seafood markets and restaurants.
The new rule takes effect Feb. 23, 2026 and applies to all commercial oyster gear types through the new closing date of April 14.
DNR also noted that the Maryland Department of Health, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and DNR coordinate to ensure oyster-growing waters meet health and safety standards for shellfish harvesting under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.