Above we paused at the end of a country road that wound past low lying farms, some in fields of mud before we came to the end of the road at a boat ramp. The photo above was taken looking back on the wintry sleep of a marina and restaurant which would be much busier in the summer. The reef in the foreground is composed of oyster shell from a time when oysters were abundant. Now we have less than 5% of what was everywhere.
My folks retired to Eastern Shore, Md. Years ago we used to go to the bay and buy oysters off the boat $20 for a half a garbage can full.
ReplyDeleteApparently a disease helped wipe them out. My nephew an expert and Dr. in all things ocean says if they left the beds alone for 5 years, the diseased resistant oysters would repopulate and the system would be healthy and plentiful again. Instead they keep planting new oysters at huge cost to keep the few oyster fisherman busy. It would be cheaper to just give the fisherman money for 5 years and allow nature to take its course. Alas the lobbyiests win and the oysters lose.
joeh, you are absolutely correct! I am married to one of those ocean experts who has sat on committee after committee on this. We will have to wait until the fisherman pass on. If the government (state) didn't subsidize these oldies but goodies it would all be changed in short time.
ReplyDeletenice...i rather like the comments as there seems to be practical solutions if only they would be listened too...to often we get stuck int eh short run of things instead of thinking over the long haul...
ReplyDeleteReading the comments - that is astounding. I had no idea they did subsidized like that.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos!
Sounds like a particular instance of a generic problem. Sad ole times we be living through - and yet you've found beauty enough to share. Hope should be a constant.
ReplyDeleteLove your photos...sad...so much of our wildlife is disappearing..is anyone paying attention?
ReplyDeleteSigh
Hugs
SueAnn
This is a cut and paste response just to let you know I enjoyed your post. (Still issues with carpal tunnel and trigger finger.)
ReplyDeletepeople eat them faster than they can reproduce.
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos. Unfortunate about the oysters -- nature is declining rapidly as we humans look on. Sorry state of affairs.
ReplyDeleteWhen exactly did we become such a wasteful, careless society? What made us turn from austerity and making do and cherishing the land that fed us to becoming ever greedier consumers? And how do we fix what we've wrecked? There's still so much beauty left, as your photos indicate, but I wonder how our grandchildren and their children will fare in the wake of our depletion of necessary resources.
ReplyDelete