Merritt Properties announced this week that it has entered into a joint venture with NAFCO & Congressional Seafood Co. on an 88,000-square-foot seafood distribution facility in Jessup. The facility will serve as the company’s new headquarters. The single-story building, located ...

Tagged with: facility jessup seafood

The Department of Natural Resources’ annual survey of the Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster population produced some good news: The 2013 Fall Oyster Survey indicates the oyster population of the bay has more than doubled since 2010, reaching its highest point since monitoring began in 1985.

Tagged with: chesapeake bay maryland oysters seafood

Oyster lovers, rejoice: Three of the 15 projects that received money from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships program’s latest funding round involve novel oyster-farming techniques, program officials announced Wednesday.

Tagged with: maryland oysters seafood

A few government and politics headlines for Thursday.

Tagged with: economic development Fracking health benefit exchange hydraulic fracturing Martin O'Malley seafood Taxes

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia is shedding its late 19th century system of taxing oysters by the bushel for a user fee that will spare watermen mounds of paperwork and return the revenue generated by the fee back to the Chesapeake ...

Tagged with: chesapeake bay crabbing Environment oysters seafood tax Taxes virginia watermen

ANNAPOLIS — This is the time of year when Cathy Chisholm’s taste buds yearn for Maryland crabcakes. Not Maryland-style crabcakes. The Davidsonville resident said she can taste the difference in freshness between the home grown dish and those made elsewhere. ...

Tagged with: blue crabs Business crabs maryland restaurant Restaurants seafood

The Chesapeake Bay Program says states in the bay watershed are about one quarter to one third of the way toward meeting goals for cutting the bay’s three main pollutants by 2025. The new federally led restoration strategy calls for ...

Tagged with: chesapeake bay environmental protection agency maryland pollution restoration seafood watershed

ANNAPOLIS — The number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay has dropped steeply, according to an annual survey released Friday, and Maryland officials said they will work with the crabbing industry to reduce bushel limits by about 10 percent ...

Tagged with: blue crabs chesapeake bay department of natural resources fisheries maryland seafood

ANNAPOLIS — For months, there’s been a countdown on the Maryland Seafood website, ticking down the months, days, hours, minutes and even seconds to the most anticipated seafood season of the year: crabbing season. Monday marks the start of crabbing ...

Tagged with: blue crabs chesapeake bay crabbing department of natural resources Environment Government maryland seafood snow spring watermen winter

ANNAPOLIS — If you have ever wondered where the crab meat used in restaurants comes from, Maryland state officials have an answer. The state’s new “True Blue” program is certifying restaurants that primarily serve homegrown Maryland crabs and crab meat. ...

Tagged with: crabs fishing maryland Maryland Department of Natural Resources program Restaurants seafood