ANNAPOLIS, Md.- Oysters are a way of life here on Delmarva. Watermen say House Bill 638 would give them more opportunities by opening up a new bottom to dredge.

"A dredge is like a rake on the natural oyster bars at the bottom of the bay, to turn them over much like a farmer tills a field. You have to turn over the oysters to expose natural shell because that's how oysters reproduce," said Chip MacLeod, a representative for the Clean Chesapeake Coalition.

Opening a new bottom would give the current bars watermen have been working a break. 

"We can set up a rotation plan with new bottom. We don't have enough bottom at the present time to rotate it.But we can put a rotation method where we can set a place aside every four years before you harvest oysters on it again," said Robert T Brown, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association.

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