Maryland Recognizes Importance of Seafood Industry on Eastern Shore

Cabinet Secretaries Honor Businesses for Their Efforts

A showcase of Maryland seafood at Chesapeake Seafood and Prime Meats in St. Michael’s. In recognition of their contributions to Maryland’s seafood industry, Chesapeake Seafood and Prime Meats received a Secretary’s Citation from DNR and a Certificate of Appreciation from MDA. MD DNR Photo.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio along with key staff from DNR and the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) visited Maryland’s Eastern Shore to recognize wholesale commercial and retail businesses in the seafood industry last week. 

The tour included stops at Wittman Wharf Seafood in Tilghman and Wittman, where owner Nick Hargrove talked about their efforts in seafood processing, aquaculture, and recycling oyster shells; P.T. Hambleton Seafood in Bozman, a family business spanning four generations over 68 years; along with Chesapeake Landing, a St. Michael’s restaurant buying seafood directly from local harvesters, in business for more than 30 years; and Chesapeake Seafood and Prime Meats, a new market opened in January 2022 specializing in seafood, along with prime meats, also in St. Michaels.

In recognition of their contributions to Maryland’s seafood industry, Wittman Wharf received a Secretary’s Citation from MDA and a Certificate of Appreciation from DNR. MD DNR Photo.

In recognition of their contributions to Maryland’s seafood industry, Chesapeake Seafood and Prime Meats received a Secretary’s Citation from DNR and a Certificate of Appreciation from MDA. MD DNR Photo.

“The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries provide some of the world’s best and most bountiful seafood, including blue crabs, rockfish, oysters, and blue catfish,” said MDA Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “Supporting Maryland’s sustainable seafood industry and related businesses is essential to Maryland’s economy.”

PT Hambleton Seafood received a Governor’s Citation in recognition of the company’s contributions to Maryland’s seafood industry. MD DNR Photo.

“We are very proud to work with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland businesses in support of the seafood industry, which employs thousands of people in Maryland and is a huge part of our state’s economy, bringing in $600 million annually,” said DNR Secretary Riccio. “The businesses we visited today do a great job, not only putting food on tables, but also playing an important role in our communities and in conservation as well.”