The Remote Setting Aquaculture (RSA) program is intended to offer new and active Maryland lease holders the necessary training, equipment, and materials to produce spat-on-shell to seed their leases. Program participants will have access to remote setting equipment, larvae, shell, technical expertise, and other supporting services. The program is not intended to enable a leaseholder to produce all the oysters for their given lease(s) as required by the State, but rather to equip leaseholders with skills necessary for sustained independent production.

All leaseholders may access the RSA program facilities on a first come, first serve basis. New participants will be given priority access to tanks over returning participants.

The oyster production portion of the program is anticipated to operate from April to August in two week increments at seven sites around the Bay. Sites are located in Piney Point, Kent Narrows, Sherwood, Cambridge, Elliott Island, Deal Island and Crisfield.

The RSA program is privately funded by the Ratcliffe Foundation and administered by the Maryland Seafood Cooperative in conjunction with Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and Oyster Recovery Partnership. To sign up for the program or get more information, contact Shannon Hood at 410-221-8225/ shood@umces.edu or visit http://www.mdseafood.coop.‍

‍TANK RENTAL‍

There is a cost to maintain and operate the remote setting tanks. Tank rental will be waived for new participants and MDSC members. All other leaseholders will be charged $50 per tank per set. Checks should be made out to MD Seafood Cooperative.

PURCHASING SHELL

Clean, aged shell may be purchased from the Department of Natural Resources or Oyster Recovery Partnership for $5 per half-bushel bag in 2023. Shell must be used for setting only and cannot be used for bottom stabilization. Program participants will receive education and resources to facilitate containerization of bulk shell.

PURCHASING LARVAE

Larvae may be purchased from the hatchery of the leaseholder's choosing. Leaseholders are responsible for securing their own larvae, and Hood will provide assistance in identifying appropriate strains, densities, etc. For your convenience, a few Maryland hatcheries are listed below. Larvae may be imported from out of state, but a Permit to Import Shellfish From Out-of-State is required. This application may be completed online at https://onestop.md.gov. The list of hatcheries listed below is not a complete list of potential larvae sources. For a complete list of hatcheries, please visit:

https://ocean.njaes.rutgers.edu/marine/EastCoastShellfishHatcheryandNurseryDirectory.html

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MARYLAND PRODUCTION HATCHERIES

Ferry Cove Shellfish

Website: ferrycove.org

Contact: Steven Weschler

Phone: 410 886 1006

Email: orders@ferrycove.org

Horn Point Oyster Hatchery

Website: hatchery.hpl.umces.edu

Contact: Stephanie Alexander

Phone: 410 221 8357

Email: tobash@umces.edu

Piney Point Aquaculture Center

Website: dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/hatcheries/shellfish.aspx

Contact: James Dumhart

Phone: 301 994 0241

Email: james.dumhart@maryland.gov