CAMBRIDGE, Md. - Bitter cold and ice have brought oystering to a standstill across parts of the Mid-Shore, leaving watermen tied to the dock and out of work. Frozen waterways have made it too dangerous to head out, and local watermen say the ice is just the latest challenge in an industry already under pressure from competition and market fluctuations.
Waterman Gordon Loveless explained how the industry has been declining over the years and what that means for watermen like him.
"I'm a third generation waterman here in Maryland myself…By the time I get [to] my father's age, this job is no longer going to be one, if it keeps the way it's going,” Loveless said. “Because this industry has went downhill every year I’ve done it.”
James Wheedleton, also a Cambridge waterman, said the industry has faced added pressures from out-of-state and international oysters flooding the market.
"When we got oysters all up and down the coast, it's hard to compete with oysters that are coming in from other countries," Wheedleton told WBOC.
He added that the current freeze only adds to existing struggles.
"We need some help,” Wheedleton said. “We're going downhill faster than we're coming back up.”
Local watermen are hoping a disaster declaration from the state could provide temporary relief to protect wages and support the industry while conditions improve. Until then, they say, frozen waterways and frigid temperatures will keep boats tied to the dock and some paychecks on hold.