fishing tournament highlights critical role oyster reefs play in Chesapeake Bay

fishing tournament highlights critical role oyster reefs play in Chesapeake Bay

By Alex Glaze

Source: CBS Baltimore

9/27/2022

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is getting ready for its fifth year of the Rod and Reef Slam.

It's a unique fishing tournament that doesn't necessarily reward fishermen who reel in the biggest catch.

The Rod and Reef Slam challenges anglers to catch the most different species of fish over restored oyster reefs, rather than simply the biggest fish.

It's all in an effort to highlight the critical role oyster reefs play in supporting the diversity of fish in the Chesapeake Bay.

There used to be hundreds of thousands of acres of oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay.

However, over the course of the last couple hundred years, the bay's oyster reef habitat has been decimated.

Over-harvest, disease in the oyster population and pollution have all played a key role.