![[photo, Oyster aquaculture exhibit, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/01glance/agriculture/images/1198-1-07361b.jpg)
Aquaculture, or farming the water, produces a variety of finfish and shellfish: hybrid striped bass, prawns, tilapia, catfish, yellow perch, eels, crawfish, trout, oysters, and soft crabs. For laboratory research, aquaculture supplies ornamental aquatic plants and fish, game fish, bait, and some specimens. Aquaculturally produced fish are exempt from laws and regulations that pertain to wild harvested species, including endangered species provisions.
Oyster aquaculture exhibit, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, September 2015. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
Formerly supported by the Department of Agriculture, aquaculture, since July 2011, has been assisted and promoted by the Aquaculture and Industry Enhancement Division in the Department of Natural Resources, as well as the Aquaculture Coordinating Council.
![[photo, Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/21dnr/images/i006048b.jpg)
The Aquaculture and Industry Enhancement Division grants shellfish aquaculture leases in Maryland, which allow shellfish, mostly oysters and some clams, to be grown and harvested. The Division also issues permits, commercial and private, to produce various species of finfish, plants, and invertebrates. In 2017, the Division issued 31 Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Leases, 551 Shellfish Aquaculture Harvester Permits, 80 Shellfish Import Permits, 9 Shellfish Nursery Permits, and 9 Non-Shellfish Aquaculture Permits.
Department of Natural Resources, Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland, March 2001. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Throughout Maryland, 12 "fee-fishing lakes" are stocked with fish species, including catfish, largemouth bass, and trout. These lakes are licensed operations found on private property. Issued by the Fishing and Boating Services, a permit allows for the catching and keeping of fish without a Fisheries Service fishing license.
More than 200 schools, nature centers, government agencies, and private organizations raise fish, shellfish, or aquatic plants for educational or restoration purposes. In cooperation with park and fishery managers, species produced include American shad, American eel, hybrid bluegill, rainbow trout, striped bass, yellow perch, and oysters.
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