This winter, Maryland’s wild oyster harvest surged to its most plentiful since 1987. Can it be sustained?

Maryland watermen sold more than half a million bushels of wild oysters this winter, more than they have since 1987, according to preliminary state data. It’s a positive sign for a species known for dangerous population swings in recent decades. But it is not yet proof of a sustained recovery for Chesapeake Bay oysters, which suffered from massive overfishing for decades and, more recently, from diseases that for now remain at bay. That is likely to fuel continued debate over Maryland’s strategies to help oysters, including using sanctuaries, designated oyster reefs where watermen are prohibited from harvesting.