Maryland’s 100-Year Shellfish Safety Program Protects Chesapeake Bay Seafood

For a century, Maryland has worked with federal officials to ensure oysters, clams and mussels from Chesapeake Bay waters are safe to eat. The partnership involves state police, health officials and environmental agencies working together to inspect everything from harvest boats to seafood markets.

A federal program that has protected Americans from contaminated shellfish for 100 years continues to play a crucial role in keeping Chesapeake Bay seafood safe for consumers throughout our region.

Maryland’s collaboration with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program helps guarantee that oysters, clams and mussels harvested from state waters meet strict safety requirements before reaching dinner tables. This partnership has become especially important following the recent sewage spill in the Potomac River, which highlighted the need for constant monitoring of water quality.

The federal oversight program began in 1925 when health officials noticed increasing illness rates linked to people eating raw shellfish. On February 19 that year, the U.S. Surgeon General met with state conservation officials, local health departments and commercial fishing representatives to establish safety guidelines that became the foundation for today’s program.

Now operating under the Food and Drug Administration, the program updates its safety recommendations every two years and works with three Maryland agencies: the Department of Natural Resources, Department of the Environment, and Department of Health.

Maryland Natural Resources Police officers have been enforcing shellfish safety rules since 1868, when the agency started as the State Oyster Police Force. Back then, officers commanded a fleet of schooners and armed steamers to stop out-of-state boats that locals called “oyster pirates” from illegally harvesting Maryland’s oysters.

Today’s enforcement looks different but remains just as important. Officers regularly board harvesting boats to verify that watermen are working in approved areas and following proper procedures. They check whether crews are using the right equipment – some locations allow power dredging while others require hand-tonging methods only.

During these inspections, officers also ensure boats meet sanitation standards, including providing shade over stored oysters, keeping detailed harvest records, and following time restrictions during the hottest parts of the day.

The same strict oversight extends to seafood processing facilities and retail markets, where shellfish are cleaned, packaged and sold to consumers.

Following the Potomac Interceptor sewage incident, the Maryland Department of the Environment has been conducting extra water quality tests. Recent monitoring found no evidence that the upstream spill has affected shellfish harvesting areas in the Potomac River.

The Department of Health creates Maryland-specific handling and processing rules based on federal requirements, while environmental officials regulate the waters where shellfish are grown and harvested.

This century-long cooperation between federal safety standards and state enforcement helps ensure that shellfish from Maryland waters remains safe for families throughout the region to enjoy.